MOTOR CYCLIST’S DEATH

Southland Times, Issue 21986, 8 April 1933, Page 7

MOTOR CYCLIST’S DEATH

ELLES ROAD ACCIDENT.

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST.

An Inquest regarding the death of Thomas Aitken, who died at the Southland Hospital on March 12, was held before the Coroner (Mr E. C. Levvey) yesterday afternoon. In giving his verdict the Coroner said: “I make a formal finding without any reference to the sobriety of the driver or passengers of the motor cycle or regarding the lights of the stationary car, as there is- insufficient evidence to show just what the position was.” Mr R. Stout was present to watch the interests of two witnesses, who were passengers in deceased’s sidecar when he received the

injuries which caused his death, and Mr Gordon J. Reed represented the driver of the car with which deceased's motor cycle collided.

Dr A. C. Ross, house surgeon at the Southland Hospital, said that deceased had been admitted to the hospital suffering from a fractured skull and injuries to his brain. His condition became worse in spite of treatment and he died as a result of the injuries he had sustained. Deceased showed no evidence of having taken liquor. Percy Carter, a carpenter residing at Elies road, said he had ridden with deceased and Jack Purdue on deceased’s motor cycle and sidecar on the night of March 11. They went from Elies road to the Makarewa Hall. They stayed at the hall for a few minutes and then went to Browns where they had some beer and whisky. After spending about two hours there they left, taking half a bottle of whisky with them. They called at the Makarewa Hall again and danced for a time, leaving about half an hour later, after they had finished the whisky with three friends. They set out for home, witness and Purdue being in the side-chair. They came straight along the North road, turned up Bainfield road and then into Elies road, their speed being about 30 miles an hour. Witness did not see anything in the road as he was talking to Purdue, and the first indication of a collision he received was a crash which threw him on to the road. He then saw a sedan car, but could not say whether it had lights or not. Deceased was face down on the road with the cycle on top of him and had to be removed to the hospital. All three were quite sober at the time of the accident and the night was clear with a good moon.

In reply to Mr Reed witness said he could see for a considerable distance ahead where the moonlight was not interrupted. It was a very clear night, witness said in reply to Mr Stout. The moon was in the eastern sky on their left and there was a plantation on the left side of the road where the accident occurred. The motor cycle was in good order and deceased was a good driver. John William Purdue, a joiner of Newcastle street, gave corroborative evidence. He said he did not see the car before they struck it and could not say for certain what part of the road they were travelling on. He believed the car had lights, but could not be certain.

Irvine Walter Parry, a licensed service driver, of Lilley street, said he had his service car in Elies road at about 12.30 a.m. on March 12. He pulled up on his proper side of the road facing south, but was not sure whether he had the lights on or not. He had a girl friend in the front seat beside him and they were there about 15 minutes before the motor cycle struck his car from behind. The car was partly on the grass with the righthand wheels on the gravel of the road and there was no shadow from the trees, the car being in bright moonlight. Donald Fraser Stewart, a fruiterer residing in Dee street, said he was driving his truck along Elies road in a northerly direction when he saw a light coming towards him. The light swerved and stopped, and when he got to the place where the swerve had taken place he saw there had been an accident. He helped to get the injured man away to the hospital. When he first saw the stationary car it showed as a black object and its lights did not show until he was within 10 yards of it. In reply to the Coroner witness said that the night was very clear and he saw the car from well over 100 yards away. The car had been struck on the right side at the rear and the wheel was five foot lengths from the grass. Detective Lean: Did you smell liquor on the men who had been riding the cycle? Witness: No. I had been to a dance myself that night. Detective Lean: Had you had some liquor there?—l wouldn’t say that. The Coroner: You had had supper? —Yes, I had had supper.

Percy Albert Plumer, gardener, of Waikiwi, who arrived on the scene of the accident ahead of Stewart, said that as he approached the scene of the accident he saw two lights and then saw a single light beyond them. The single lights sweved from behind the other two and turned over on the road. Witness was about 100 yards away at the time and when he reached the capsized cycle someone was trying to lift it. He helped lift it and saw the deceased on the ground. In reply to the Coroner witness said the stationary car had its headlights on. He was sure it was not the reflection of his own lights. Mr Reed: You are certain the lights of the stationary car were on before the accident? Witness: Yes.

In reply to further questions from the Coroner, witness said he thought deceased had kept well to the left to pass him and the lights of witness’s car had prevented deceased from seeing the parked car. Leslie Victor Swan, a labourer, of Spey street, said he had been playing in the orchestra at Makarewa when deceased and his friends visited the dance. The deceased spoke to witness and said that he had been to Browns and had had “a booze up.” The Coroner: Was his speech all right? Witness: He was a bit stammery. The Coroner: That was not a normal condition of his?—No.

Deceased staggered a bit and it was plain that he had had liquor, witness said. He did not seem fit to drive a motor cycle and witness would not have ridden with him.

In reply to Mr Stout witness said that deceased always stammered a little. Reginald Henry Woodfield, a school teacher at Waituna, said he was. travelling towards his parents’ home in Herbert street on the night of the accident and heard a noise like an aeroplane and then two loud noises. He went on to Elies road and saw the scene of the accident just as the injured man was being removed. He considered, judging from the noise, that the cycle had been travelling at a high speed. Evidence regarding the scene of the accident was given by Constable Broomfield, who said the night was very clear and the car should have been visible 200 yards away. The sidecar had struck the car lightly and the cycle had gone about 23 yards after the impact. Evidence regarding the scene of the accident was also given bv Ernest Stopford, traffic inspector, who gave a detailed description of the motor cycle.

The Coroner returned a formal verdict to the effect that deceased died at the Invercargill Hospital on March 12, death being due to a fracture of the skull and injuries to the brain received when the motor cycle he was driving collided with a stationary car in the charge of Irvine Walter Parry as driver.