INQUEST

Southland Times, Issue 20886, 23 September 1929, Page 7

INQUEST

MARRIED WOMAN’S DEATH.

ACCIDENTALLY STRUCK BY TRAIN.

An inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death, as the result of being struck by a train on September 9, of Bridget Ford, a married woman aged 72 years, who resided at 273 Ettrick street, was held on Saturday morning, the Coroner (Mr. W. 11. Woodward, S.M.), presiding. Sergeant Abel conducted the case for the police and the New Zealand Railways was represented by Mr. J. Paterson. Evidence of identification was given by Lawerence Ford, husband of deceased. The evidence of James Alfred Frye, an engine-driver employed in the New Zealand Railways, was to the effect that he was driving the Invercargill express train as far as Balclutha on September 9, leaving Invercargill at 1.45 p.m. When approaching the Ythan street crossing, he sounded the whistle and when about an engine-length from the crossing he noticed the deceased walking very briskly as if she were trying to get over in front of the train. She was proceeding north. Witness again sounded the whistle to attract her attention and when he saw that she had taken no notice of that he immediately shut off and applied the brakes. As he was stopping deceased passed out of his .sight and on looking out the left side he expected to see the deceased walking away. Instead he perceived that she had been struck by the front left hand portion of the engine and had been thrown clear. Deceased looked neither to right nor left when witness saw her. Witness did not think that deceased could have seen the engine. The speed of the train would be under 15 miles per hour before the brakes were applied. There was nothing Io obstruct deceased’s view and the street was clear. The crossing was safer than many hundreds throughout the country. Witness did not remember noticing whether deceased had an umbrella up. Edith Annie Jones, a widow, residing in Tramway Road, said that at 1.45 p.m. on September 9 she was cycling along Ythan street in a northerly direction. As she came towards the railway crossing she saw deceased walking along the footpath and saw the train approaching from the station. Witness was cycling very slowly to allow the train to pass. Deceased, who was walking in a northerly direction along the street, had her umbrella up until she came to the end of the footpath. Deceased did not look up, but proceeded straight on. It was not raining at the time. Deceased was almost across the line when the train struck her. Witness heard the engine whistle twice. The wig-wag signal was working at the time.

Keith Hamilton, a shop assistant, who witnessed the accident, gave corroborative evidence.

After evidence as to the nature of the injuries sustained by deceased had been given by Dr. A. W. Owen-Johnston, Medical Superintendent at the Southland Hospital, the Coroner returned a verdict that deceased met her death as a result of being struck by a train at the Ythan street crossing, that no blame was attachable to anybody and that the warning signals were working properly at the time.