FATAL COLLISION ON NORTH ROAD.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 78, 1 April 1931, Page 16

FATAL COLLISION ON NORTH ROAD.

CONTRACTOR’S DEATH CAUSED ACCIDENTALLY

The death, on March 9, of Jeremiah M’Mahon, a single man, aged thirtyfive,' was caused through an accidental collision that morning between a sidecar in which he was travelling and a sanitary cart. This verdict was returned by the Coroner, Mr E. D. Mosley, at the adjourned inquest, which was completed yesterday afternoon. The Coroner added that the rider of the motor-cycle, George Munro, probably misjudged his distance in passing the cart through the effects of the lights of an approaching car. * The accident happened at 1.30 a.m. Munro and M’Mahon were returning from Christchurch to the Waimakariri River Trust’s camp at Stewart’s Gully. When opposite Donald’s stables at Belfast, they overtook the cart, and in passing it the side-car struck one of the rear wheels. M’Mahon was badly injured about the head and died in the Christchurch Hospital at 6 a.m. He was a cartage contractor, doing w’ork for the River Trust. Sergeant Wolfendale represented the police at yesterday’s proceedings, and Mr F. W. Johnston represented Munro, the rider of the motor-cycle. Car Driver's Evidence. Malcolm James Miller, a retired master shipwright, of 20, Salisbury Street, said that on the morning of the accident he was driving a motor-car containing a party of Salvation Army bandsmen who had been to Hanmer for the week-end. When 300 to 500 yards away from the scene of the accident, he saw the lights of the cart. These lights were well on the proper side of the road. When witness heard the crash, he thought that a motor had exploded. He went to give assistance. M’Mahon had been thrown sixteen to eighteen feet, and Munro fifteen to twenty feet. There were no signs of liquor on either man. Luke Johnson Mayfield, a letter-car-rier, residing at Papanui, who was also a passenger in Mr Miller’s car, gave corroborative evidence as to seeing the accident. Constable Anderson, of Belfast, gave evid£hce of visiting the scene of the accident and of the removal of the injured men to the Hospital. His evidence as to the position of the vehicles corroborated that of previous witnesses. Motor-cyclist's Evidence. The rider of the motor-cycle, George Munro, who resides at Stewart’s Gully, said that, at 1.30 a.m. on March 9, he was nearing Donald’s stables at Belfast. M’Mahon was in the side-car. He saw a motor-car approaching with bright lights. He also saw the sanitary cart, and swung out to pass it. He applied his brakes, and, as he was passing the cart, he misjudged his distance and struck the cart. After that he knew nothing more. He knew that he was dazzled with the headlights of the motor-car, and that was what caused him to misjudge the distance when he tried to pass the cart. At that time he had been travelling at about twenty miles an hour. Mr Johnston: When you were dazzled, you applied your brakes?—Yec. And what is the next thing you remember?—The constable telling me to get into the ambulance with the driver. Distances Misjudged. Witness added that, after he had accompanied M’Mahon to the Hospital, he -went to the police station. Later, he was taken back to the Hospital, where he was kept for fourteen days. “ This is another unfortunate motor accident which seems to have very little to account for it,” said the Coroner. “ There is no evidence of excessive speed on the part of the driver of the motor-cycle.” He added that the last witness, Munro, had probably thrown some light on the matter. The bright headlights of the approaching car had probably' had the effect of causing him to misjudge the distances, both as regards the motor-car and the cart, i hus he avoided striking the car with the motor-cycle, but struck with the wheel of the side-car. It looked as if he hayi misjudged the position by a very narrow margin. In returning a verdict that M’Mahon s death was caused by certain injuries, the Coroner said that thpse were brought about. by an accidental collision in which the side-car crashed into the rear of the waggon.