DETAILS OF SMASH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16895, 21 November 1922, Page 7

DETAILS OF SMASH.

CAR MOVING SLOWLY

THEORY OF CAUSE. Mr Sinclair and his son wore driving from Addington, ivliprp Ihr*y had been visiting friends. In their home at 17,

\yr Street. Lower Riccarlon, and it 7 s believed, by people who saw the 1 -.evident, that they did not notice the »pproach of the express, at- least not intil it was right upon them. MR SINCLAIR PREOCCUPIED. I r According to one version of the acci- j lent. Mr Sinclair senior, who v as driv- j ng th© car. was leaning hack talking j o his son in the hack of the ear a- j , iliey approached the crossing. Mr j Sinclair junior was practically blind in ! j me ©ye. and it. is considered probable j V bar if he was talking to his lather at j j i lie? time he would not se-e The train iilier. Ihe subject ol tlx* con versa.ion appeared to- be an expensive j So-nora gramopiionc* which they had I r| crrowecl from a I t iend and had with | them in the car, and it is thought j bat- Mr Sinclair junior was directing j 0 os father's attention to the grnino- * ;«hono. apparently telling him to drive 7 -iowiv over tfi“ crossing in order to j n • void" the possibility of damaging it. j CAR MOVING SLOWLY. Thor© seems to bo tio doubt whatever i hat the car was travelling at a very iow pace tit die lime, and it is be- , icved that when Mr Sinclair saw the j 1 train la- might have pul on a little ■ n xtra «pe;-;i in the ho]>© of being able ' 11 o cross in front of it. There l were j * i<> clear ’make marks noticeable on the mul this morning. Some marks could h ).- distinguished about fourteen yards p join ihe railway linos, but it is doubt- } 71 ul if they wore caused by applying tho j V rai:os hurriedly to the car. TER RIFT C IMPACT. 3 The engine struck the- car full on v he left front wheel, and the rear part ; f the body was at once separated from : j, iic chassis. Mr Sinclair senior, who p •ms killed instantly, was thrown out ( i. ihe north side of tho line about j .vns stTUiek. and his soil, who was ! ( ‘aught in the body of tho car. was ! lirowri out or. til© opposite side- about, j iy-e vards furdier along, in the direc- w, lent ‘of the Addington Station. The j •ar. minus the rear part of the body, i vns carried on the cow-catcher of th© I •xpress a distance of 400 yards from \ n© crossing, to where the train pulled ■ ip. fi had tlu’ii to be lifted off the j ( in©. Mr Sinclair senior was thrown I c iolently against a truck standing on i siding near lbe crossing. It appears' hat hi- bodv must Juive liit the axle ! J J »f the truck, and that that was the | •ause of death i CAR A COMPLLTE WRECK. j Tho car was a Buick fivo-seater. | inml.oiwl rluistfliuich 1860,’’ anti | his morning nothing remained of t i rat two heaps of debris. Practically j he whole of tho woodwork was smash- ; id to splinters, and tlio chassis and mgine were a hopeless wreck. Th© ' rheels had been broken into fragments, j md ul! the tyres had been wrenclied i t , >lf. There was practically nothing : u i bout the car that had not been a iroken A 7 a rgc number of sraa " H >ieces oi gramophone records were , j icattercil about tho gioiunl where the y .-at* was taken off the engine. NO CROSSING KEEPER. There is no keeper at, tho Cutler -: i t load crossing, but from the south side ; v >f the line an unobstructed view can ; i >e obtained of the approach oi a train ; 1 or a distance of several hundred . rards. Cutler’s Road follows th« ~■ loutliern boundary of the Metropolitan ) t rrotting Club’s grounds at Addington b mtil if reaches a point about a hun- ; -t Ired and fi.fi.y .yards from the railway ! n crossing. The road then takes a halt i h urn to the left and crosses the rails it a right angle It is hardly posable for anyone approaching the cross ng not to see the train from that a : ion was ilirected o snineLbing at tin* rear of the car. i a :i. . vi V : , the \' »IV>>. Dllllcsi.l il

M'Xicll. stntes that h© sounded rb whistle when approaching the crossing. A resident of die locality stated thi> morning that the engines whit-rled al most continuously on approaching Hrcrossing each night. The only railway sign at the crossing is the large notice “ Stop.” Tho smaller sign “Look Out for the Engine ” is missing from the po»t. However, it >houi-:i be ipiite apparent to any passing motorist that it. is r railway crossing h\ the presence of u signal light, end numbers of truck* on sidings on the Christchurch side <n Cutler’s Road. TRAFFIC MANAGER’S OPINION. *- fr is one of these most un fort mi me accidents which is likely lo happen even under the best regulated rondi lions.” said Mr J. B Mil ©hell. Rail ways Traffic Manager, tliis morning. Mr Mitchell referred to By-law 3S. which made it incumbent on the part of all motorists approaching rruhvn\ level crossings to ‘iacktui sV—T'/l '-o not more than 10 miles aii hour within a 100 yards of tau-Ti crossing. The onus was on the rider or rlriver of a vehicl--* Bn keep a vigilant imk out for an approaching train and nor aiicmpt o cross unless the line was clear. il wax quite evident, said Hie Traffm Ylanager. that, no attempt was mad' to coniplv with this by-law. No onwould hr> able t<» snv with certaintv what really occurred, but it was certain that sufficient precautions had nobeen taken. The- e-ugine whistle ha 1 been sounded. and Mr Mitcbeil understood that Ihe view of the line wail uito a good one. Mr Sinclair, jur.. died at the Hospital this morning at four o'clock, without having regained consciousness. The late Air Daniel Sinclair we- verv well known in Christchurch circles. For many years he ivns i member of the old Ohrisftchurch Garrison Band, later joining the Orchestral Society, and the Christchurch Syrn - phany Orchestra. Mr Sinclair was a member of the Exhibition Orchestra. Ho toured New Zealand with the Sheffield Choir (English), and for tho last four years hn* been clarinettist in Everybody’s Orchestra. Apart from his distinction as a musician, he was well known both in football and swimming circles, being a distinguish© i member of the Albion Foot-ball (nub. The late Mr Sinclair was also a keen Mason. As a man he was most popular. He was recognised as being one of the premier clarinet players in New Zealand, and whenever opportunity offered he was onb- too willing to give patients at the hospital and sanatorium diversion by mean* of his music. Mr Sinclair leaves a widowcud yon to mourn their loss. Air .Tack Sinclair for five years was on the clerical staff of the Snnnvskl© Mental Hospital. He was later transferred to the Accountants’ branch of the Public Trust Office. Wellington, and until his eyesight failed, was a keen student of accountancy. On th© eve of sitting for his final examination, his eyesight temporarilv gave out, and since then lie lias- suffered front weakness in the eyes. He was a. brilliant ninnist and with Ids father was* in the habit of giving musical contributions at the hospitals, and in aid of charitable institutions. Mrs Sinclair at present staying with her brother. Mr A. White, of th© Christchurch Clothing Factory. She lias only one surviving son. Hector, wlto is farming at Mavfield. Mr J. Sin (lair, father of Mr Daniel Sinclair, is a retired member of the Civil Service and lias been on a trip to the Old Country. He is at present in Sydney, on his way back to New Zealand. Mr Jack Sinclair, a brother of Mr Dan Sinclair, is a clarinettist with Messrs J. ( . Williamson. Ltd. INQUEST THIS AFTERNOON The inquest will be opened at the Courthouse this afternoon at 4.30 (.T-lock. PICTURE OF SMASHED MOTOR ON NEXT PAGE. A MARVELLOUS ESCAPE. ACCIDENT LAST OCTOBER. The fatal accident last, evening recalls a remarkable escape from douth under a railway engine that befeli Al - and Mrs J. A'PGrr.th, of 215. Durham Street, on tho evening of October 25 AL about 7.30 p.m., Air and Mrs AUG rath were driving along Sehvyn Street in their five-sea ter Buick motorcar. They came to the railway crossing and some confusion resulted over the crossing 1•: eperb. signals .just when the Ashburton train was due at ibis place. The car was caught bv ihe front <>f the engine, dragged sideways, rolled over and over past the cattle stops, and swung clear At the first impact th© two occupants, by miraculous good fortune, wen* thrown clear and escaped with a few minor scratches*. Th© motor-car was battered and torn to hits.