TRAIN SMASH.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1924, Page 8

TRAIN SMASH.

COLLISION WITH MOTOR. DEATH OF AIR. L. S. HART. ACCIDENTAL FATALITY. A verdict of accidental death, no blame being attaclmble to anyone, was returned yesterday at the inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death or Leonard Sydney Hart, of Wharehuia, who died last Friday night as the result of injuries received in a collision earlier in the evening at the Hut land Hoad railway crossing (near Waipuku) between the car he was driving and the New Plymouth mail train. The coroner. Mr. A. M. Mowlem, SAI., entirely exonerated the officials of the train from any responsibility for the accident, and said he did not consider the crossing was a particularly dangerous one. Senior-Sergeant H. McCrorie examined the witnesses on behalf of the police, wh’le Mr. E. Clarke watched the proceedings m the interests of the Railway Deparimeut.

Thomas Henry David Hutchison, liresnan on the engine of the train, stated that near Waipuku, on coming out of the cutting near Rutland Road, he saw a ear approaching. When he first saw the car it would be about two chains away from the crossing. The train was travelling at about 30 miles an hour and was right on time, namely 6.31 p.m. It was bright daylight at the time, and the car wa© travelling, in witness’ estimation, at about 15 miles an hour. Since the time when witness first saw the car there was no intervening obstruction which would prevent deceased from seeing the engine. Witness called out to deceased to stop, but the latter took no heed. The emergency brake was applied, and the train was stopped in about a train's length. The engine hit the ear at right angles, and threw the driver to the cattle stops. The engine’s whistle was sounded loudly as usual, previous to approaching the cutting. The motor car approached the cressing from witness’ side, so he would have seen more of the position than the engine driver. In reply to a question from the coroner, witness said it appeared to him that deceased made an effort to stop iiis car but was not successful. His impression was that deceased did not see the train until too late and that Chit was the cause of the collision. . THE INJURIES RECEIVED. Dr. E. A. Walker, medical superintendent of the New Plymouth hospital, gave evidence to the effect that deceased was admitted to the hospital at 7.30 pan. on the night of the accident, suffering severely from shock, contusion of the left shoulder, extensive abrasion of the left chest and fracture of five ribs, the broken ends of which had penetrated the lungs. His pulse increased in rate and symptoms of ehock grew more marked, and in spite of all treatment h. died at 11.45 p.m. The cause of death was shock following the injuries stated.

Francis Alfred Ellis, engine driver of the train, stated that the first he knew nt the accident was after he had stopped the train, which he did in response < » a cry of “Stop!” from tlie fireman. Be had blown the whistle as usual when in the cutting about 300 yard© from the crossing. After he had applied the emergency brakes the train pulied up within about two train lengths and less than one train length beyond the crossing. Witness dismounted from the engine, and went back to the crossing, where he found one of the factory employees supporting the injured man under the arms. A doctor, or it might have been two. who had b£en travelling on the train, arrived immediately. The factory E-taff brought a stretcher and the injured man was carried to the van of the train.

The motor car was almost in the centre of the crossing, standing on its ei-de on the fireman's side of the line. The wheels were facing the railway Jfrie, one of them lying alongside the car. The highest part of the sides of the cutting was not higher than the engine. He considered that anyone travelling on the road should be able to see the train all the way from \Vaipjku station.

George Raynor Bell, a farmer of Rutl: nd Road, said that he knew deceased well, as the latter had been working for him. Deceased had been erecting 6 -eds with witness, ami on the day of the accident was in perfect health and bad had no intoxicating liquor. He considered the crossing was a particularly dangerous one.

■'lt is plain,” said the cofoner in summing up, “that the official-, of the train did their duty, and no blame is attachable to them.’’ He tjien returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence, no blame being attachable to anyone. He did not feel justified, he aaid, in making complaint to the Railway Department that the crossing in question was particularly dangerous.