MOTORING FATALITY

Waipa Post, Volume 39, Issue 3087, 10 December 1929, Page 4

MOTORING FATALITY

RACE NIGHT TRAGEDY. INQUEST HELD. An inquest concerning the death of Mi’s Rita Gannon, who was killed on the Matapuna Road, near her residence, on Friday evening last, was opened at the Taumarunui Courthouse on Monday morning, before Mr A. S. Laird, district coroner. Sergeant Sivyer represented the Justice Department. Mr D. H. Hall appeared on behalf of Messrs R. Smith and S. G. Stewart, and Mr A. E. Seaton watched the interests of the relatives. Sergeant Sivyer said that there had been a good deal of talk to the effect that the accident had been due to raceday traffic, but, as far as he could ascertain, that was not so. The race traffic, he believed, was all clear at the time of the accident. Dr E. Vivian gave evidence as follows: About 6.45 p.m. on December 6, I received a call to Matapuna Road. On my arrival I saw the body of the deceased lying on the right-hand side of the road going in. That would be the south side of the road. Life was extinct and, with the Sergeant’s permission, I ordered the removal of. the body to the mortuary at the hospital. On Saturday morning, at the coroner’s request, I made a superficial examination of the body. There was a fracture of both bones of the left forearm, a compound fracture of the lower part of the left leg, and a fracture of the base of the skull. There were numerous bruises on the body, most of them being on the left side. Death, in my opinion, was due to injury to the brain, caused through a fracture of the skull.

To the Coroner: I could not judge, from the injuries, whether the impact was severe or not. I believe that the fracture of the skull was probably caused by a fall rather than by an impact with some moving body. The ’'fracture of the leg was probably caused by the fender of the car. To the Sergeant: I noticed that both wheels of the bicycle appeared to have been struck in the same direction. That would imply that the bicycle had been travelling at right angles to the car. If it had been proceeding from town, it would have been struck on the left-hand side. The body was not lying near the bicycle. I made a special point of endeavouring to ascertain whether liquor had, in any way, been responsible for the accident, and I am perfectly satisfied that neither of the young men, Smith and Stewart, was affected by liquor in the slightest degree. Patrick Joseph Gannon, bushman, gave evidence as follows: I have identified the body at the hospital mortuary as that of my wife, Rita Gannon. Mrs Gannon was about 41 years old. To the police: The eyesight and hearing of my wife was quite normal. She was an experienced cyclist. She had been riding for several years and had never had an accident. Robert William Smith said: On Friday, December 6, about 6.30 p.m., I was driving a motor car along Taupo Road, in the direction of Matapuna. When near Mrs McCulloch’s house I noticed a lady on a bicycle. She was on the correct side of the road. We were both travelling in the same direction. As I was about to pass Mrs Gannon she appeared to go off to the side of the road, but, later, came back to the road again. I travelled about another 300 yards and met a two seater car driven by Mr Stewart. The car was on its correct side and was travelling in the direction of Taumarunui. I estimated the speed of the car to be about 30 to 35 miles per hour. After I had passed the car I heard a crash, and on looking round I noticed the body of a woman lying beside the car. I went back and saw the lady lyinsr in the dirt off the bitumen. I noticed that the car which I had previously passed had pulled up about 100 yards from the bicycle. I did not take any measurements. At the time of the accident there was no other vehicle in view. I was driving a Ford 5 seater, and mine was the only other vehicle near the scene of the accident.

To Mr Seaton: The light was quite good at the time of the accident. There had been showers of rain that day and there was no dust about.

Sydney Gordon Stewart said: On Friday, December 6, at about 6.30 p.m., I was driving a Ford 2 seater car in the direction of Taumarunui. Mr P. D. Smith was with me in the car, which is his property. As I approached Mrs Gannon’s house I noticed a lady riding a bicycle. She was on her correct side. I did not see the lady coming across to the south side of the road. A collision occurred and the car went on some distance. I could not say how the accident occurred. I got out of the car and went back to where the lady was lying on the south side of the road off the bitumen. The bicycle was lying on the edge of the bitumen some distance away. I was not travelling at more than 25 miles an hour. The brakes on the car are 3*ood. I could not explain the reason tor not pulling up the car sooner. I tould not have done anything to pre- ' I could not say the brakes when the called

were in good order. ‘ I consider I could pull the car up in about 15 or 20 feet. I measured the distance from where the car pulled up to where the body was lying on the road. I called to Stewart, “Stop the car, Don!” The lamp on the car at the driver’s side was broken and the bracket was bent back. The right mudguard was dented and there was some black material on the front buffer. To the Coroner: I remained at the scene of the accident until I got permission from the sergeant to leave. To Mr Smeaton: The deceas£<fj&as riding the bicycle at right angles to the car when the accident occurred. Eileen Margaret Gannon said: I was out riding with my mother on Friday evening last. When I crossed over to our gate I noticed a car coming from Manunui. The car was driven by Mr Stewart and was a long way down the road. My mother had plenty of time to cross the road. When my mother was crossing the road she stopped and got off her bicycle. My mother called out, “Eileen j” and then the car struck, her.

Annie McCulloch said: On Friday evening last I was coming out of my gate at about 6.30 p.m. I heard a crash and then saw a woman lying on the road. I did not see the car until after it was stopped opposite my door. Sergeant Sivyer said: At 6.30 p.m. on Friday, December 6, I went to Taupo road in response to a telephone call. I saw the body of the deceased lying on the road. The body was near the side entrance to the deceased’s residence. About 23 yards further down the road there was a bicycle near the south side of the bitumen. A little past the bicycle there were freshly made marks on the bitumen. About 34 yards on the Taumarunui side of the body there was a Ford car standing, and the wheel marks could be traced back to the point of impact. The bicycle was damaged and the car lamp and bonnet of the engine were slightly damaged. The right mudguard was dented and some black material was on the buffer. The total distance from the point of impact to where the car pulled up was roughly 60 yards. All the marks were on the south side of the road, which indicated that the car was on the correct side. Mr Smith and Mr Stewart were at the scene of the accident when I arrived. I detected no sign of liquor on these two men. I rode in Mr Smith’s car and when it was registering 27 miles I asked Mr Smith to apply the brakes. This was done and the car pulled up in a very short, space. The road where the accident occurred is a chain and a half wide, perfectly straight and without obstructions.

B. M. Rice said: I was driving my car to Taumarunui on the night in question. Mr Smith’s car was following behind and from Mr Smith’s intersection I travelled for a time at about 30 miles an hour. I passed a number of people on bicycles and slowed down. Later I went slower, but Mr Smith’s car did not pass me' when I was driving along Taupo Road. To Sergeant Sivyer: I was too far away to see the accident, but heard* of it later in the evening. The coroner said that from the evidence it was clear that the car was driven at a reasonable speed, and probably when Mrs Gannon was crossing the road she became paralysed with fear when she was meeting the oncoming car.

The coroner returned the following verdict:— “That Mrs Rita Gannon was acci- W" dentally killed by a motor car owned by Mr P. D. Smith and driven by Mr S. G. Stewart.”