MOTORCYCLIST KILLED

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1930, Page 11

MOTORCYCLIST KILLED

RUN DOWN ON HUTT ROAD DRIVER OF CAR STILL UNKNOWN. A CONVERSATION OVERHEARD. By Telegraph. —Press Association. Wellington, Jan. 30. At the inquest to-day in regard to the death of Charles Bell, aged 19, who was run down by a motor while cycling on the Hutt Valley Road, near Lower Hutt, on November 28, a young woman who was with him at the time gave evidence of hearing the car approach. It had good lights, and from the noise it was making was travelling very fast. She remembered being struck, and dragged with the car, but when she recovered her . senses the lights were 'retreating in the distance. She did not see the car stop. It was a light-col-oured two or three-seater. ■ J. B. Grey, engineer to the Hutt Valley. Power Board, said he was standing outside the office when he saw lights of a car coming from Petone, and heard an impact about three and a-half chains from him. The car pulled up near him and an elderly lady got out backwards. She appeared to be either infirm or under the influence of liquor. Then a voice, apparently belonging to a younger woman inside the car, evidently at the wheel, said, ‘‘My God, I think I’ve killed a man!” There was a muttered conversation, after which the elderly lady got into the car again. .Witness took the number, and thought it. was 99-151. He went to the injured man and called a doctor and the police. When he went tq telephone the car had gone. Other evidence showed that. the number taken was that of a delivery van belonging to a plumber, Herbert Willis, which the police were satisfied was not used that evening. The most exhaustive efforts had failed to trace the car. . The coroner adjourned the inquest till Saturday morning, saying he would look through the files to see .whether there was any direction in which the inquiry should be pusued further.