DEATH OF JOHN POLETTI

Taranaki Daily News, 9 July 1929, Page 7

DEATH OF JOHN POLETTI

KNOCKED DOWN BY A LORRY MOTOR SAID TO HAVE NO LIGHTS. DEATH BY NEGLIGENCE CHARGE. ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. An inquest into the circumstances rounding the death of John Poletti at Bell Block on Juno 11 was heard, at New Plymouth yesterday before the district coroner (Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M.) simultaneously with tho hearing of charges again Rami Watson, motor driver, of Waitara, of negligently driving an unlighted motor lorry at night thereby causing the death of Poletti, and against Louis Albert Sarten, lorry proprietor, of Waitara, and employer of Watson, of aiding and abetting Watson in his negligent driving. At the conclusion of the inquest the coroner found that deceased met his death through being knocked down by tho lorry driven by Watson, the immediate cause of death, being haemorrhage brought on by the severance of blood vessels. Both Watson and Sarten pleaded not guilty to the charges against them, and reserving their defence were committed to the Supremo Court for trial. Bail was allowed in their own recognisances of £lo’o each. In addition to the major charge preferred against them, summary charges of driving a motor vehicle at night without having it properly lighted, and of driving without a license were preferred against Watson, and a summary charge of employing Watson as a driver when he Was not the holder of a license was laid against Sarten. The hearing of these charges was adjourned sine die, to be brought on at seven days’ notice. POLETTI IN GOOD HEALTH. s Isabella Matilda Poletti, wife of the dea'ased, said that on the evening of her husband’s death he left home about 5 p.m. Ho was in good health, and though he wore glasses his eyesight was good. For near objects it was perfect. His hearing also was perfect. John William Downes, storekeeper at Bell Block, said that Poletti called at his shop between 5.15 and 5.20 p.m. He was perfectly sober, as he always was, and appeared in good health. Shortly afterwards, witness heard there had been an accident, and going outside, he found Poletti lying on the blinding on the north side of the tar-sealed road, with his heijd facing New Plymouth. He was apparently unconscious, and seemed to 'be dying. On the Waitara side of the body was a lorry. He saw no lights on the lorry as it stood on the road. Dr. H. P. Gray, New Plymouth, said that he received a call to the scene of the accident about 5.30 p.m. He had the body removed to the mortuary. A subsequent examination showed that deceased had some evidence of a fractured skull, and had sustained general abrasions about the face, fracture of the bones of the outer angle of the right eye, a deep wound eight inches long extending from his right side under the right armpit, causing the severance of several large blood vessels in that region, and abrasions about the back. In the opinion of witness death was due' to haemorrhage brought about by the severance of blood vessels. It was after dusk when he visited the scene of the accident. The night was dark, but clear. EVIDENCE OF EYE-WITNESS. Prank Ashton Carter, motor driver employed by Warren and Treweek, New Plymouth, said that on the evening of the accident he was bringing Warren’s car in from Waitara. As he approached the Bell Block monument he saw deceased walking along the road towards him on the metal on the north side of the tar-seal. The lorry driven by Watson was a few yards behind the man, with its left wheels on the metal and its right wheels on the north side of the tar-seal, and was proceeding towards Waitara. It was travelling slowly, but had no lights. Witness estimated his own speed at about 20 to 25 miles an hour. The car he was driving had good lights, not particularly bright, hut up to standard, and he could see deceased quite plainly in the beam. He did not anticipate an accident. As far as he knew there were no other Vehicles in the vicinity at the time beyond his own and the one that ran over the man. Witness saw the lorry run over Poletti, turning his body over and over and seeming to strike him several times. It was a dark night, continued witness, but fine at the time of the accident, though it had been raining about five minutes previously. Witness had hod to use his windscreen-wiper on the hill coming up to the Bell Block hall, but Watson had no. windscreen-wiper, and it . was very likely that witness’ lights, ehining on the wet windscreen of the lorry, blinded the driver temporarily. 'DIDN’T SEE HIM TILL NOW.” Corroborative 'evidence was given by Charles Edward Warren, who accompanied the previous witness on the journey from Waitara. After the accident witness said to Watson: “You seem to have killed a man, Rami," and the latter replied: “I didn’t see him till now.” Constable Mills, who was called to the scene of the accident, said he examined the lorry lights, which would not go on. Watson admitted that the battery was out of order, and the lights were not operating. The brakes were in good order. Witness then produced a statement made at the police station by Watson after the accident. In the statement Watson explained that he left New Plymouth just before dark with a load for Waitara. Both Watson and Sarten knew the battery was out of order and the lights would not work, and it was agreed to go as far as possible before dark, and then leave the lorry on the side of the road for the night, Sarten said he would drive his car in front of the lorry to show the way, but at the New Plymouth showgrounds he decided to drive at the rear of the lorry, thinking this would be a better method, and they were moving in this fashion when the accident happened. Watson admitted that it was dark when they were at Bell Block. HAD LICENSE PREVIOUS YEAR. Watson added that he had had a driver’s license in the 1928-29 year, but harinot renewed it for the 1929-30 year, , owing to the fact that though he called

at the Waitara office twice to renew the license, the clerk was out on both occasions. Senior-Sergeant McCrorie stated that according to the newspaper th'' time of sunset on the day of the accident was 4.37 p.m. He produced a statement made at tho police station bv Sarten in -which the latter said he had been delayed in leaving New Plymouth by the fact that etoremen from whom he -was to get goods for the . Waitara Dairy Company did not turn up until late in the afternoon.