THE GUYTON STREET FATALITY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19359, 14 July 1925, Page 5

THE GUYTON STREET FATALITY

DEATH OF MR. A. I. BIRD THE INQUEST OPENS i An inquest concerning the death of Mr Alfred James Bird, which occurred i as the result of a collision with a moI tor car on the evening of June 25 last. I was hold yesterday afternoon by the | City Coroner, Mr J. S. Barton. B.M. ' Senior-Sergeant Lopdell conducted I the inquiry on behalf of the police, ' while Mr J. M. Hussey represented the driver of the car (Mr Charles Higginst. Mr W. R. Brown watched the proceed ings on behalf of the relatives of the deceased. The first witness called was Sergeant Sivyer, who submitted evidence of a technical character relating to certain measurements taken by him at the, scone of the fatality. Tn answer to Mr Hussey, Sergeant Sivyor said tlmro was a dent on the near side of the car’s mudguard, but he could not say if the mark was recent or not.

Miss Maude Wolter said she was engaged on the night of the accident pushing the invalid’s chair, in which the deceased was riding, along Guyton Street, and passed the Fire Brigade Station, travelling on the road. The reason why witness utilised the roadway was for the purpose of striking a culvert cover on the footway, with the object, of getting on to the footpath. After passing Wilson Street witness had no recollection of what happened. Mr Bird was carrying an electric torch—he always did so—using the torch at street crossings and in dark streets. Witness could not remember if the deceased showed the torch over his shoulder just prior to the accident. The invalid’s choir was in good order and condition. To Mr Hussey: Witness had been employed by Mr Bird over 12 months. She always took the roadway. Witness took the road on this occasion from Churton Street. As a result of the impact, she was injured in the back. Witness did not recollect observing any lights from behind prior to the accident.

To the Coroner: She remembered the lights at the Fire Brigade Station, and the sensation of being dragged on the road—that was all.

To Mr Brown: Witness could not remember being knocked over, or what dragged her along the road. Medical testimony was given by Dr. Robertson, who said that on the night of June 25 he. was called to the seen ' of the accident, and on arrival found the deceased lying on the footpath, dead. His death was caused by haemorrhage and injury to the held. Miss Wolker -was suffering considerably from shock. Witness found, the next morning, that Miss Wolker was suffering from an internal injury, probably due to crushing. She also suffered abrasions about the body, which probably were the result of being dragged on the ground. With regard to the injury to deceased’s head, Dr. Robertson said that this would have been caused by contact with the road. Witness was of the opinion that the deceased, being crippled and not in possession of certain physical faculties, would not be in a position to protect himself in filling. To Mr Hussey: The deceased was paralysed all over, except, for the use of his hands. The blow which he sustained, and which caused the injury to his head, was a violent one, and one. also, that could have been caused in the fall from the chair. To the Senior-Sergeant: Ho did not observe any extensive injuries in the region of deceased’s skull. Peter Thompson, locksmith, said that he was in the vicinity of the accident at the time, the ear driven by Mr Higgins passing him at the intersection of Wilson Street and Guyton Street. The car had proceeded about 40 yards past witness, who observed at the same time the invalid chair ahead. Witness could see the chair at the time the car passed him. The speed of the car was ordinary, and not what might be considered fast. The car. at the point of impact, seemed to hit Mr Bird’s head, while the rear mudguard hit Miss Wolker. The vehicle was travelling on the centre of the road, and swerved practically at the moment of impact. To the Coroner: The car hit Mr Bird direct. To the Senior-Sergeant: The, chair was carried on by the car, the deceased falling between the chair and the car. When the car stopped Mr Bird was directly behind it—the car passing over him—the deceased rolling from under the car, between the front and rear wheels. To the Coroner: He had no doubt that the car struck the chair.

To Mr Hussey: The car was driven slowly. Samuel Percy Edwards, manufacturers’ representative, deposed that at 8.45 on the evening of June 25, he was engaged driving a car to Gonville, vii Castlecliff. He noticed a ear coming in an opposite direction. The car swerved to its right. I. was Ihe swerA* that drew witness’ attention to the accident.

To Air Hussey: He observed that the approaching car had lights burning. Edward Woods, chemist by profession, who was seated in the car that, struck the deceased, said that in the immediate vicinity of the Fire Brigade Station there was a cluster of lights which, to the driver of a motor car approaching the vicinity, obscured his vision somewhat through their brilliancy making the neighbourhood outside the rays of the.cluster a void of darkness. It was the dazzle of light from the cluster that interfered with Higgins’ (the driver) vision. Witness was looking straight ahead prior to the accident, and could sec some distance ahead. The night was dark. It would be impossible to observe, under the3o

circumstances, a person dressed in dark clothing 20 yards beyond the beams from the cluster of lights. To the Coroner: The first thing he observed was the young lady, who seemed to step some two yards ahead right in the passage of the car. He called out to Mr Higgins: “Look out, Charlie!’’ The driver immediately swerved to the left. In answer to the Senior-Sergeant the witness said that the driver did not appear to be conscious of the presence of Miss Wolker and Mr Bird until witness sang out to him. The lights of the ear were full on, and seemed to witness to converge, the strongest beam being in the vicinity of the lamps. When witness exclaimed to the driver to look out, the brakes were applied immediately. One of the front mudguards hit the young lady, who, as sne tell, seemed to pull the invalid chair into thT? car and also to give it a momentum onward. The chair ran forward, bearing to the right. Mr Bird appeared to witness to have fallen out of the chair. Before the ear was properly pulled Up iwitness got out and found the deceased lying at the rear somewhere about two or three feet from the rear wheel, I while Miss Wolker was lying about, a car length further back. The car just grazed the chair as it passed. It was at this moment lying on its side. To Mr Hussey: It was on account of i the dark evening, and the bright cluster of lights, that difficulty was experienced in picking up a dark object I ahead of the lights. I To Mr Brown: Miss Wolker stepped | in front of the car as though stepping I out f rom a wall. | At the conclusion of this evidence, 1 the inquest was adjourned till 9 o’clock this morning.