MOTORISTS DEATH

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIV, 20 December 1926, Page 7

MOTORISTS DEATH

STUDHOLME LEVEL-CROSSING FATALITY. EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. An inquest concerning the death of Horace J. Pickering, who was killed as the result of a level-cross-ing accident at Studholme, was held in the Courthouse to-day. Mr C. R. Orr-Walker', District. Coroner, presided. Mr T, Cockburn, Traffic Inspector, appeared on behalf of the Railway Department, and Mr Inglis, Timaru, represented the family of the deceased. John White Bradley, a poultry farmer, of Studholme, said that about 8.30 on the day of the accident he saw a motor car passing his house going south, on the centre of the road. The car seemed to be travelling at from 25 to 30 miles an hour. He saw the car approaching the crossing and saw the Waimate train. In his opinion the crossing was not a bad one, and if a driver was on the look-out he would see an approaching train for 100 yards on the Waimate side. The engine blew its whistle twice. Deponent was about 300 yards from the crossing at the time.

In answer to Mr Inglis, deponent stated that there was a line of birch trees some fifty yards from the crossing, but they were only small trees and the train showed above them. On the right side of the road there was a gorse hedge, but one could see over it from 40 yards from the line. There were dark hills behind the train.

To Mr Coekburn, deponent said that when standing on the road at his place he could see the train quite plainly a mile away. To the Coroner, deponent said there was. a slight rise along the line about 200 yards from the crossing. James Hendren, of Waihao Downs the engine-driver on the train, deposed that the train left Waimate at the usual time, 8.30 a.m., and ran at the usual speed. When the train was approaching the crossing he saw the car, which was about 40 or 50 yards off the line, and he gave the usual warning, two whistles, when about 300 yards from the crossing.

To the Coroner, deponent said his speed would be about 20 miles, the usual pace. Continuing, he said that when he saw the car approaching the crossing he applied his brakes, but it was too late to avoid a collision. Deponent said he had been driving on the Waimate branch for about twenty years and had never had an accident. He had struck the ear about the driver’s seat and he found deceased lying on the ground unconscious.

To the Coroner: He had pulled up about three or four waggon-lengths over the crossing, which was by no means dangerous. When the car was about 20 yards off he saw the man in the car move, which gave him the impression that he had seen the train and was doing something with his gears. The car, however, did not slacken speed but kept on in a straight course. Deponent would not say that the deceased was trying to get across, but if he had put on his brakes they made no impression on the speed of the car. To Mr Inglis: He did not know of any other accident at that crossing, and he did not think it worse than any other. He had certainly seen cars going too fast and crossing too close to the train.

To Air Coekburn: The car had all the curtains up, but- he saw the man’s movements throu'gh the curtains.

To the Coroner, deponent said he had seen the law in regard to the stopping of cars at crossings broken every day. He suggested that if the police were placed at crossings and prosecuted motorists who did not stop it would stqji the practice. The Coroner agreed.

Deponent admitted to the .Coroner that the practice of motorists travelling across the line just in front of the engine was trying on the nerves. Owing to the great number of cars on the road now, the driver was continually worried. Dr. R. G. .Shackleton stated that about 8.45 on the day of the accident he was advised by the stationmaster at Studholme of the accident. so he summoned the ambulance and arrived there about 20 -minutes later. He found the deceased suffering from a severe compound fract-

ure of the side of the skull, a portion of which was missing, allowing the brain to protrude, a fracture.of the base of the brain, and a compound fracture of the elbow. Deponent dressed the wounds and removed

the injured man to the Waimate Hospital, though it Was obvious that nothing could be done to save his life. He died shortly after. James Campbell McKeowen, Waihao Downs, fireman on the train, stated that he did not see the car as the train was approaching Studholme as he was on the other side of the train. About 200 yards from the crossing the driver blew two long blasts on the whistle, the usual signal, The first thing deponent knew was when the driver plunged the brake into emergency. The impact occurred about the same time.

Mr Inglis said he thought the crossing was a dangerous one. The Traffic Inspector said the crossing was one of the safest on the Main Road.

Mr Inglis then called Albert Pickering, brother of the deceased, who said he had inspected the crossing recently. On the west side of the road was a gorse hedge about 40 yards from the crossing. He had driven past in a car and one would not l)e able to see the engine till within 40 yards of the crossing. When one passed the end of the hedge one could see only the tops of the telegraph poles along the line. On the east side of the road' the view was obstructed by a shed and plantation close to the line. The line to Waimate appeared to be open, but the other side was particularly obscured. When one was driving in a closed car the whistle of a train from the Waimate side was apt to be thought to come from the other side. The “railway crossing” sign was about 300 yards from the line and was not prominent. The background along the Waimate side was dark hills and trees and was not a background on which it would' be easy to pick out objects. Deponent admitted to Mr Cockburn that when he inspected the crossing there was no train. Mr Cockburn asked deponent iff He knew that the line was six feet above the level of the road and the engine when coming down the slight incline would be puffing out steam which should be noticeable.

Deponent answered that one could only see the top of the telegraph poles. In reply to the Coroner’s question as to whose duty it was to prosecute when a motorist failed to stop, Mr Coekburn said the drivers reported the motorist if they could ger the number and the Department prosecuted. The Coroner: It should be somebody’s duty to prosecute. The law has been made and should be enforced.

Evidence of identification had been given at Timaru. The Coroner brought in the- verdict that the deceased was accidentally killed by a train on the Studholme level-crossing, no blame being attachable to anyone. Commenting upon the accident the Coroner said it was another regrettable occurrence caused through ignoring the law which made it compulsory to ease up when approaching a crossing, stop before reaching the line, and look out to see that the line was clear before proceeding. It was well known that the law was generally flouted and that no prosecutions took place except in comparatively few cases where- there had been a narrow escape. In the interests of the engine drivers, who were subjected to unnecessary and unfair strain, and in the interests of motorists themselves, the Coroner said he thought the time had arrived for the law to be enforced, especially in regard to the slowing up when approaching every crossing. Some department shouid be charged with the duty of such enforcement.