CHINESE KILLED.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1790, 8 November 1919, Page 9

CHINESE KILLED.

RAILWAY CROSSING FATALITY. The inquest concerning the death of Lim Yum, a Chinese market gardener, who was killed' yesterday while driving a cart, by being run down by a passing train, was held yesterday afternoon by Mr V. G. Day, coroner. Mr H. A. Penn (Traffic Inspector) watched the case on behalf of the Railways Department. Duck Yee, market gardener, stated that he was a brother of Lim Yum, the deceased. He was 56 years of age. Frederick Myer, crossing-keeper at Selwyn Street crossing, said that, as the Springfield train approached the crossing from Addington, about 9.40 a.m., the deceased approached from Moorhouse Avenue. He had the green flag up, and tried to stop the deceased, who was approaching in his cart at a good pace, and took no notice of his warnings. The engine-driver sounded his whistle coming..along the line. Instead of deceased trying to stop, he urged his horse on, and got in front of the engine. The cart was struck by the engine, and the Chinese thrown across the road, where he was picked up. He would be thrown eight or nine yards from the place where he was struck. The train pulled up immediately. Witness crossed over to the Chinese, who appeared to be dead. The train was travelling at about 20 miles an hour at the time of the occurrence.

David Wilson, engine-driver, stated that he drove the Springfield train from Rolleston to Christchurch yesterday morning. At 9.40 he approached the Selwyn Street crossing at 25 miles an hour. He was about 20 yards from the crossing when he first saw the deceased, who was then close up to the rails. There was a crossing-keeper's box, which obstructed the view of Selwyn Street, but the man in the cart should, nevertheless, have been able both to see and to hear the engine. On seeing the man in the cart, he shut off steam immediately and applied the Westinghouse brake, stopping the train in 75 yards. The deceased appeared to be trying to force his horse over the rails. The cart was struck right in the centre. The Coroner returned a verdict that the deceased was accidentally killed by being run into by a railway train, and that no blame was attachable either to the engine-driver or to the crossingkeeper.