TWO DEATHS.

Thames Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 18607, 16 September 1932, Page 2

TWO DEATHS.

RECENT LORRY SMASH. Evidence At Inquest. WITNESSES ALLEGE SPEEDING. STEERING GEAR DEFECTIVE? The circumstances of the fatal accident on the afternoon of August 19, when a lorry ovei turned on the Thames-Auckland Road between Maramarua and Waitakaruru, were inquired into yesterday, when the adjourned inquests on the two violins, Harry Crowther, 40, farmer, of Maramarua, and Mrs P. Totaea, 05, of Omahu, were held simultaneously at the Courthouse by the Coroner, Mr W. Bongard. Sergeant Campagnolo conducted the evidence for the police, Mr C. J. Garland appeared on behalf of Mrs Crowther, and Mr E. J. Clendon for the Victoria Insurance Company.

Medical Evidence

Dr. 0. S. Hetherington, medical superintendent, Thames Hospital, stated that examination on admission showed that Mrs Totaea was suffering from a fracture of tint base of the skull. She was treated but not operated on and died the following day at 12.30 p.m. She was unconscious all the time. Dr. J. B. Liggins, who examined Crowther’s body at the Thames Morgue, said there was a cut over the right eye, and across the back between the shoulder iblades these ,w!as a bar jof skin removed. Death, he considered, was duo mostly to compression of the chest by some weight across ,it, associated with head injuries, but he did not think the head injuries alone sufficient to cause death. How Accident Happened.

David Rhind, labourer, residing in Sealey Street, Thames, said lie hired deceased’s lorry to take potatoes from Maramarua to Thames. About 2.10 p.m. /he assisted to load the 30cwt. lorry, which left shortly afterwards for Thames. He was sitting in the front seat with deceased who was driving. The other persons, William Thompson, Miss Lina Rhind, Mrs Joe Rhind and Mrs Totaea were sitting on two sacks of potatoes on the floor of the lorry with their backs against the stacked potatoes. When about three-quarters of a mile on the Thames side of the water dam at Waitakaruru, a motor car approached from the other direction, proceeding towards Auckland. Deceased,, who, he considered, was travelling at too fast a pace, pulled over to the extreme left, and when tile car passed pulled back to the centre. The metalled part of the road at that point was about 17ft wide. The lorry swayed badly to the right and then the left and appeared likely to go over the bank. Then it swerved to the right and overturned. Ho found himself in the centre of the road with the lorry upside down on top of him.

Tried to Lift Lorry

Witness said lie crawled out and saw deceased face down on tilie ground underneath, pinned down by the lorry cab. He tried to life the vehicle off him, but was unable to do so. The driver of the other vehicle came back and helped him but they were unable to get Crowther out from under the lorry until 15 or 20 minutes later, when other motorists arrived on the scene. The accident occurred about 3.15 p.m. and -deceased was liberated about 3.35 p.m.

T:he car which passed them was travelling very slowly and gave deceased plenty of room to pass, added witness.

11l answer to questions, witness said Crowthcr was a farmer and did a little carting. , He had previously brought over a load for witness. There was a wobble in the steering gear which he first noticed shortly before the accident, and he would not have cared to drive many miles with it in such a condition. Ho considered the overturning of the lorry was attributable to the locking of the wheels in the last turn due to the speed and the faulty steering gear. Ho was rolling a cigarette when the accident occurred. The last thing he saw Crowthcr do was to wrench the Avlieel round to the right, which was the only thing to do in the circumstances. There was a slight crown on the road at this point.

To the Coroner: He did not make any comment to Crowther about the speed at which he was travelling. William Thompson, labourer, residing in Terrace Street, Thames, said lie was picked up at Maramarua by Crowther. He, too, thought deceased was going too fast. When the lorry overturned he was knocked unconscious and woke up to lind himself some litt'e distance from the vehicle which was nearly in the middle of the road. He received injuries to his left hand and left eye. Other Driver’s Opinion. A. B. Oh!son, school teacher, Ngatea, diiver of the car, said that when he passed the lorry it was travelling at well over 30 miles per hour. Witness believed that the corrugations in the road surface caused Crowther to lose control. liis wife drew his attention to the accident. They had to wait for assistance to lift the truck. Ho later examined the steering gear and found the . left-hand front wheel defective. In his opinion the accident was caused through the truck coming .round the bend too last.

To the Coroner witness said there was livo or six inches of metal on the road.

H. Dent, storekeeper, Ngatea, who arrived shortly after the accident, said the wheels of the truck were rery loose and this would affect the steering when running across corrugations. Mechanic’s Evidence. D. E. Morrow, motor mechanic, Ngatea, said he discovered the steering arm very loose and the wheel hadly smasned. He did not examine the brakes. Ho considered the steering gear was defective prior to the accident. In answer to questions witness said it appeared to him from the evidence as to the course the lorry took that it was out of control. He noticed a skid mark two to three feet in length about 22ft from where the lorry overturned. Police Investigation. Constable Clifford, of Kerepeehi, stated that when ho arrived David Jtihind was unable to speak owing to shock. Erom where Ohlsou’s car passed the lorry to where it •trad capsized was 161 ft. Where the two vehicles passed there was 17ft of metal and 4ft of clay. Witness examined the steering gear and found that the left hand connections of the tie-rod were \eiy loose. The right wheel answered every movement of the steering wheel but not so the left. AH the witnesses he interviewed weio of the opinion that the lorry was going too fast.

Coroner’s Comment

The Coroner said that they were there just to find the cause of death of the two people. An effort, had been made to pro re that the steering gear was not perfect, but it remained lo be.proved that it was a deciding factor to the accident, it was admitted by Rliind that he was satisfied with. Crow tiler’s driving on the first trip. It appeared to him that there was no proof of negligent driving on Crowther s part. lie would return a verdict of accidental death in both cases.