INQUEST OPENED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19900, 30 March 1939, Page 6

INQUEST OPENED

WHAKATANE FATALITY DRIVER’S EVIDENCE After the hearing of the evidence of one of the drivers concerned in the fatality in Awakeri road, near Whakatane, on Monday, the inquest into the deaths of the two victims, Repana Wahapango Kingi, aged 22, and his son, Repana Wahapango, aged five, which opened before Mr. G. A. Brabant in Whakatane on Tuesday, was adjourned sine die. The evidence of this witness, Percy Langley, a manufacturer, of Wellington, was taken to enable the witness to return to Wellington. Langley said that he was driving the second car involved in the collision and was proceeding towards Awakeri from Whakatane. He was travelling on the left-hand side of the road and his speed was about DO miles an hour. Terrific Impact When approaching Awakeri he saw a large lorry coming toward him and noticed that the lorry was raising a large cloud of dust. When he entered the dust he took his foot off the accelerator and as he was about to pass the vehicle, a car loomed tip in front of him. The two vehicles collided with a terrific impact. The witness said that the other car was on the wrong side of the road and witness had no time to do anything to avoid the impact. After the collision his car stopped on the lefthand side of the road, the other vehicle finishing up diagonally across the road.

Answering Mr. G. Otley, who appeared for Wahapango’s relatives, Langley said that several cars had passed him and he did not think that the driver of the lorry had seen the accident. Witness did not know whether the lorry had stopped after the accident.

The inquest was adjourned sine die.

The widow of the elder deceased, who was seriously injured in the accident. is reported to be progressing favourably