DIMMING WAS FATAL

Southland Times, Issue 20043, 3 December 1926, Page 8

DIMMING WAS FATAL

AN AUCKLAND ACCIDENT CORONER’S COMMENT. (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, December 2. “I think the dimming of the car’s headlights was a great factor in causing the accident,” said the Coroner, Mr Hunt, S.M., in returning a verdict of accidental death at an inquest concerning the death of George Aldridge, pastor of the West Street Church of Christ. Deceased was knocked down by a motor ear in Dominion road on October 12 and died later in the Auckland Hospital.

Mr Northcroft said the driver could not appear as he had been seriously ill since the accident. In a statement to the police the driver said he dimmed his lights on account of the approach of two other cars. He swerved to avoid deceased, but could not effect a total clearance.

Mr Hunt said he found nothing to show that there was any negligence on the part of the driver.

‘The time has come,” he said, “when the authorities will have to do something in the matter of dimming headlights. I am quite sure that if deceased could have seen a ray of light from his car the accident would not have occurred. The man would be alive to-day if the lights had not been dimmed.”