A FATAL CRASH.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20205, 16 January 1934, Page 4

A FATAL CRASH.

Young* Woman Hurled Against Tree. STATEMENTS AT INQUEST. ! It was stated at an inquest 3resterday that the motor-cycle concerned went through a gorse fence, ran into a paddock and then hit a tree stump. Evidence was given in regard to the death of a young woman, Rita Hilda Corbett, who was thrown off the pillion seat of a motor-cycle at M’Quillon’s Corner, near Woodend. The only witness was Frederick Joseph Hobbs, rider of the machine. Hobbs is still in hospital. Miss Corbett, aged twenty-five, who lived at 83. Mersey Street. St Albans, was killed following an accident early in the morning of October 21 last, when the motor-cycle left the road while on the way back to Christchurch from Rangiora and she was thrown against a tree. Mr Hobbs has been in hospital since the crash following serious injuries which he sustained to his back, but he should be discharged in about a fortnight. Mr E. D. Mosley, Coroner, heard the evidence and Sergeant Henry conducted proceedings. The inquest will be concluded before Mr Mosley at Rangiora to-morrow at noon. Frederick Joseph Hobbs, a fireman, stationed at the Woolston depot, said that on October 23 last he took Miss Corbett to a dance at Rangiora. During the evening he had one small whisky at an hotel, as he felt a bit cold. lie could not remember the name of the hotel, as it was the first time he had been in Rangiora. while the drink was his first for a week. He and Miss Corbett left for home about 1.45 a.m. on the twenty-fourth, just be- : fore the last dance. The motor-cycle I was in good order and Miss Corbett j was on the pillion seat. The machine did not have a speedometer, but he j considered they travelled at between j thirty and thirty-five miles an hour,

slowing down at turns. They came back along the bitumen road which joined the Main North Road about Woodend. and it was the first time he had been over it. Only Vague Recollections. The night was clear, but it was dark, as there was no moon. They had travelled two or three miles from Rangiora when the accident happened. He had a very vague idea of what happened and his only recollection of the crash was seeing some obstacle in front of him and trying to avoid it, but he did not seem to be able to do so and felt as if his back wheel was dragging him round on to it. Mr Mosley told the witness that the motor-cycle had gone through a gorse fence, which certainly was not very high, and then ran into a paddock and apparently hit a tree stump about two feet high. The motor-cycle must have been lifted, as Miss Corbett’s head had evidently struck a macrocarpa tree just in front. Continuing, witness said that there had onlv been one or two remarks between the two of them as they went along. Miss Corbett’s last remark, three or four minutes before the accident, was, “Hasn't it been a perfect day?" That remark seemed to have remained in his mind. His recollections of the crash were very vague and it was a week after he had been injured before he could begin to piece things together. He did not know till four days after the smash that Miss Corbett had been killed, as the hospital authorities had given orders to keep the news from him. About the last thing he remembered was shutting off the engine and his next recollection was being in the hospital next morning. He was quite familiar with the machine he was riding and had been a motor-cyclist for about twelve months.