PARTY TO BEACH ENDS FATALLY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18057, 18 January 1927, Page 9

PARTY TO BEACH ENDS FATALLY.

WOMAN KILLED, AND TAXI MA.N CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER. On the night of January 9, Ivy Louisa Boon, a married woman, aged thirty-one, died in the Public Hospital as a result of injuries received iu a motor collision at the comer of Page’s Road and Rudd’s Road, known generally as Ellis’s Corner. The next day, Janies Luderman Matthews, a taxi-driver, aged thirty-five, the driver of the car which collided with a milk delivery van driven by Charles William Boon, husband of Mrs Boon, was arrested on a charge of having recklessly driven a motor vehicle thereby causing the death of Mrs Boon. This morning, Matthews appeared at the Magistrate’s Court to answer the charge preferred against him. He was represented by Mr Thomas. Detective Sergeant Young prosecuted. Charles William B6on, milk vendor, residing at 40. Edinburgh Street, S prey don, husband of deceased, said that on the night of January 9 he drove to New Brighton in his milk van. There was a party with him, and they spent the evening at the beach, returning about 8.30. Witness was driving the van, and two men were seated in the front of the van with him. Mrs Boon was seated on a box behind witness. Witness remembered travelling as far as the New Brighton Bridge at a speed of from fifteen to eighteen miles an hour. After that witness had no further recollection until he recovered consciousness in the Christchurch Hospital. No member of the party that night had taken intoxicating liquor. There were no tumblers in the van. Dr Ella Langley, of the Christchurch Hospital, said that Mrs Boon was admitted to the hospital about 9.30 p.m. ” hen witness examined her she was bleeding from the nose and mouth and was deeply unconscious. She had a blood tumor on the side of the scalp and a number of abrasions. Mrs Boon died at 11.45, death being caused b\' coma due to laceration of the brain following fracture of the skull. Theodore James Hector Rov Sullivan, a labourer, residing at 499, Ferrv Road, a brother of Mrs Boon, said that he was member of the party that went to New Brighton. On the return thej* were travelling at about 15 miles an hour on the left-hand side of the road. lie remembered seeing another car approaching, but he remembered nothing more until he recovered consciousness in the Public Hospital. Samuel Henry Sullivan, a schoolmaster, also brother of Mrs Boon, said that another van was following Mr Boon’s van. He heard a scream from the front of Mr Boon’s van, then he saw a flash of light which was followed by a crash like a gun going off. Witness and two children were hurled out of the back of the van. He picked up the children and placed them on the side of the road. His sister, Mrs Fergus, was screaming and he could see that Theodore Sullivan had had a smack on the face, but he appeared to be unconscious. On going to the front of the car he found Mr Boon practically unconscious. Some one then screamed out that Mrs Boon was killed. When witness ran round to Mr Boon , he did not see Mrs Boon as she was hr own some }'ards clear. When Mrs Boon was lifted up she was quite unconscious and bleeding from the mouth. A car with the right front wheel off was standing about fifteen yards away. Leonard Gordon Ditfort, a dairyman, said that he returned from New Brighton in a delivery van on the night of January 9. He was following the van driven by -Mr Boon. He followed the Boons up Page's Road, and when they approached Rudd’s Road he saw a car coming from the city on the correct side. When the approaching car came to the corner it seemed to shoot across the road. The car was travelling at between 40 and 50 miles an hour. Witness knew that thp car would hit something so he turned his car off to the left. The accident happened in a flash and the van was turned at rightangles, while the car went up the road about twelve yards. Witness saw accused, and told him he had driven furiously, but someone told witness to shut up, so he said no more. Owing to an injured nose witness could not smell well, but judging from the man’s appearance he should say that, accused had had a drink or two. Mr Thomas: It was a pretty hard smash ?—Yes. Did accused get knocked at all? No. He walked from the car. Vivian Sullivan, a passenger in the second van, estimated the speed of the car that struck Boon's van at from forty to fifty miles an hour. Witness saw Matthews, and he considered that he had had a few drinks. Gordon E. Fergus, of 499. Ferry Road, a passenger in Mr Boon’s car, said that he asked Matthews to wait for the police. He refused to do this, and used abusive language. Frank George Buckley, tramway employee, living at 6, Page’s Road, said he saw two lighted milk vans go past hjs house at about eighteen miles an hour. Shortly after they passed he heard a crash, and on going outside he noticed first a big closed-in cicr on its wrong side, and then a milk van with the right-hand side tom off, at right angles to the kerbing. Mrs Boon was lying about four yards away from the car. William Joseph -Lester, a cutter, residing at 308, Gloucester Street, said that he was in Buckley’s Road when he noticed a limousine travelling towards New Brighton. His attention was drawn to the car by the noise that the engine was making. The car passed witness at about forty miles an hour. After he had walked on a few yards, he heard what appeared to be two crashes. James M’Clearv, a City Council emplqvee. residing at 141, Buckley s Road, said he saw the limousine turn the curve into Page s Road, and estimated the speed of the car at over_ forty miles an hour. All he saw as rt. went past was a cloud of dust. Constable J. Myers, who went to the scene of the accident, said he saw accused there. Although he had had liquor, he was not in a state > t.o warrant arrest. There was a notice-board on the road limiting the speed of cars to twelve miles an hour. Detective E. M. Thomas, who arrested accused on January 10, said that Matthews showed him two small scratches, and said that he had been lucy to get out of it so lightly. Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial Bail was allowed in the sum of £2OO, with one surety of £2OO. THE INQUEST. An indue*t was held in conjunction with the hearing of the case, and the Coroner, Mr IT. P. Lawry, returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence. *