NORTH ROAD FATALITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12687, 8 July 1919, Page 4

NORTH ROAD FATALITY.

INQUEST ADJOURNED. An inquest was opened before Mr T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., Acting-Coroner, at the Courthouse yesterday afternoon, vm the body of a man who died as a result of injuries received through being knocked down by a motor-car on.' the North Itead, Belfast, on Saturday evening. The man gave his name as Charles Batchelor, and said he resided at Ranfiora, hut up to the present no evience of identification had been obtained.

Constable P. Moore, of Belfast, said that ht 6.10 ,p.m. on Saturday he waa informed that a man had met with an accident on the North Road. He went along and found the man lying on his hack, bleeding profusely from a cut on the cheek. The man had been disturbed before he reached the scene, and he understood that deceased had been lying on his side in the middle of the road before witness arrived. The man gave his name as Charles Batchelor. He said that he belonged to Rangiora and Kaiapoi. He was in great pain at the time and could not_ answer questions very clearly. He said he was going to Rangiora and was knocked down by a motor-car, but could not say anything about the car. Witness could not get answers to any further questions. He inquired at the Belfast Hotel if the man had been there, but could get no evidence that he had been there. The man did' not have the appearance that he had been drinking. The police were making exhaustive inquiries into the matter, but had no reliable information as to the man’s identity or the identity 'of the driver of the car. Sergeant Hyland, who .represented the police, asked for an adjournment to enable the police to make further inquiries. He was having the body photographed that afternoon, and hoped to have it identified scron.

The Coroner said that he would suspend the warrant for the burial of the body in the meantime .and would adjourn the inquest until July 18, at 2.15 p.m. '