“PURE ACCIDENT”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 116, 20 May 1942, Page 3

“PURE ACCIDENT”

DEATH OF WOMAN CRUSHED BY RUNAWAY PETROL WAGON. Wellington, May 16. “I consider the whole unfortunate thing to have been a pure accident,’ said the Coroner, Mr. W. G. L. Mellish, at the conclusion of the inquest yesterday afternoon into the death of Catherine Stewart, aged 48, a domes- ; tic, who was killed on April 24 when a run-away petrol tank wagon overturned on her. The Coroner found that death was caused by crush injuries. Commendation for William Gordon Gilbert, the driver of the petrol wagon, was expressed by the Coroner. “I think Gilbert exercised all the control that was possible in the circumstances,’ ’he said. “I think he was the ! victim of circumstances in that the braking system suddenly and unexpectedly broke down. Further, I think he is to be commended for the way he kept his head and did his best lo avoid causing injury to other persons. He tried to turn into Nairn Street, but did not see the deceased. He did all he possibly could to avert what might have been a very much more serious accident.” Gilbert's evidence was that the truck weighed 10 tons when fully loaded. That morning he went to the Brooklyn service station with 1055 ; gallons and discharged 215 there. He came down the hill in low gear at five to seven miles an hour until near Central Park when he heard a bang from the gearbox and the lever slipped into neutral. He found it was impossible to get. the lever back into any gear and that the footbrake was ineffective. The handbrake was a holding brake, anfl would not stop the wagon when it was moving with a load, and when he applied it it had no effect. The vehicle approached the intersection of Brooklyn Road with Willis and Nairn Streets at 50 miles an hour, and Gilbert decided to make a sharp righthand turn up Nairn Street with the intention of “side hitting” a pole there, as he considered he would have caused damage to property and possibly loss of life had he attempted to turn inlo Willis Street. The lorry swung round into Nairn Street, and as it did so turned over and hit the post. It was not until some time after he had arrived at the hospital that he knew a woman had been killed, said Gilbert.