Coroner At Inquest Into Sumner Tragedy Condemns Dual Control Of Motors.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18014, 26 November 1926, Page 7

Coroner At Inquest Into Sumner Tragedy Condemns Dual Control Of Motors.

“ I do not usually make any comments at Inquests, but I think I ought to comment on the practice of two people handling a car, and neither knowing what the other intends doing in regard to the gears, speeds and other things,” said Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M., District Coroner, in recording his verdict at the inquest this morning on Mrs Mar til da Featherstone, who was killed at Sumner on Sunday, October 24.

The Coroner said that he would return an open verdict that deceased died at Sumner on October 24, the cause of death being a fractured skull sustained through being crushed against the monument by a car driven jointly by Henry Neale and William John Lugg.

In further comment, the Coroner said that the joint control of the car had considerably contributed to the accident in the present case was beyond doubt. When Mr Lugg put the engine into gear, he must have put it into top gear instead of into low. The speed which the car attained proved this. “ I cannot comment too strongly on the dangerous practice adopted on this occasion,” concluded the Coroner.

On October 24 last Mrs Matilda Featherstone, of Kaiapoi, met her death at Sumner through being crushed by a motor-car against a seat on the Esplanade on which she and her daughter, Mrs Christina E. Martin, were sitting. An inquest was opened and after Mrs Martin had given her evidence it was adjourned till this morning. Mr H. P. L: wry, S.M., was the Coroner. Sergeant M’Kenzie conducted the case for the police. Mr Tracy appeared on behalf of the relatives of deceased, Mr Sim represented Henry Neale, of Springston, driver of the car, and Mr Sargent represented William Lugg, owner of the car.

Angus Mitchell, traffic inspector for the Sumner Borough Council, said he arrived a few minutes after the accident and assisted the constable to clear the debris. After deceased had been taken away on a stretcher witness examined the car and took certain measurements. When the car cl me to a standstill it was in top gear, the brakes were in good order, but the steering gear was badly damaged and the wheels required attention in being towed to the garage. The car travelled 36 feet to cross the road and then turned, striking the stone coping 14 feet away, and it then struck the seat 19 feet further on. The car was brought to a standstill 48 feet from the turn. The switch had been turned off and the engine stopped. The rear wheels had been spinning before the car moved off. He thought the car had started off -in top gear, but the driver would probably not be aware of this until the back wheels had spun through the sand and got a grip. To Mr Sim: The driver made an exceptionally good turn at the speed it was going from the start. It was the striking against the coping which damaged the steering gear and the driver had no control over the car after that. Cases had been known of the gears being changed when cars had met with collisions or accidents. The fact that i the car was in top gear after the acci- ! dent did not necessarily mean that it ! was in top gear when it started or when it struck the coping. Witness had had occasion to check irresponsible children from interfering with the gear

handles of parked car?. It would be possible for anyone sitting on the left of the driver to operate the gear lever while the driver attended to the clutch. If the car had not struck the coping it would have turned successfully and missed the scat. Tlie wheel marks showed this clearly.

William John Lugg. owner of the car, said he was a farmer at Springston. Witness and Mr Neale went to Sumner on Sunday, October 24, for a run, arriving between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Neither of them had a drink. Witness drove the car down, and it was suggested that Mr Neale should drive back.. In starting the car stalled at first, but on the second attempt it bounded away suddenly. The whole thing happened sO quickly that he was not clear as to tv hat actually did occur. The car struck something before hitting the seat.

j To Mr Sim: There Were five people l in the car. Mr Neale had driven the car before. Witness was to attend to ; the gear-changing while Mr Neale ! drove. They had done this before sat- : isfactorilv. The reason for doing this j was that Mr Neale’s left hand was infirm. Witness had never known the ! car to bound forward before. Mr Neale's efforts to turn the car would have a tendency to make him draw his feet under him and away from the • clutch. They were oVer an hour away from the car, having a cup of tea.

To Mr Sargent.: Witness left the car in neutral gear, as was his usual pracI tice. i To Mr Tracy: Mr Neale had been driving for four years to witness’s knowledge. The emergency brake was alongside the gear lever, and was to be j under witness’s charge. It did not i occur to witness to turn off the i switch.

j To the Coroner: Mr Neale started | the car with the hand throttle open, and with the self-starter. When the engine started, the car was given a little more petrol. lie thought the car was in neutral when started. Witness put the lever into first gear. He was

certain that he did not put the car into top gear. j To Mr Tracy: The question of turning off the switch was not mentioned by either himself or Mr Neale prior to l the start. Witness did not pull on the i emergency brake. I To Mr Sargent: Witness had a confused idea as to what happened, i Henry Neale, clerk to the Springs 1 County Council, said it had been arranged that he should drive the car back. lie had been driving a car for years, the gear levers always being on j the right-hand side. The car was started from Sumner by witness first de- - clutching with ..his left foot and putting his other foot on the self-starter. Witj ness did not try the levers, as he did not understand them. When he let the j clutch out, the engine stalled. He started the engine again, and when he ' let the clutch out the car jumped forward. Witness could not say what ; gear the car was in, but it started much , faster than any car he had known. | After the car struck the coping stone, j witness could not control it. Witness ! did not think that Mr Lugg had a very j dear recollection of what happened i after the car started. In discussing ; the accident, Mr Lugg had always appeared to be confused. Constable Hampton, Sumner, gave evidence of having examined the scene of the accident.