THE MOTOR FATALITY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LIX, Issue 9213, 4 November 1908, Page 3

THE MOTOR FATALITY.

INQUEST AT BUL^S,

(Mauawatu Standard)

The adjourned iuquest on the body of Lawrence Arthur Robert Worthine;- •, the victim of the recout motor accident on the Sandon-iiulls-road, was held in the Courthouse, Bulls, on Monday, before Mr J. J. McDonald, district coroner. The following jury was empanelled:— J. J. Freuch (foreman). U. Sinclair, G. D. Nicholsou, E. Westwood, G. A. Langdou, H. Edwards, 0. H. Hiuckley. Sergeant Bowdeu conducted the case for the police. Mr luues appeared to watch the case for Mr McKelvie, Mr Ongley for the widow of deceased aud Mr Dixou for the National Mutual Life Assurance 00.

Sergeant Rowdeu, in opening the proceedings, drew attention to section 1) of Motor Oar Regulations prohibiting drivers of motoi , cars from driving at an excessive speed. He said whether the car was travelling at an excessive speed was for the jury to decide. It was practrcally impossible for the police to discover the rate of speed of cars on conn try roads. ' Ernest Walter Morse, notelkeeper, of Saudon, deposed that he saw Mr tKelvie at his hotel at about 5.H0 i, on Monday, October 26th. Mr Kelvie was driving his car aud was accompanied by Mr Worthingtou. .They stayed at the hotel an hour or perhaps au hour aud a-half. They were delayed by a heavy hailstorm. During their stay they had four or five glasses of "shandy." JBoth were perfectly sober when they left the hotel. "Mr McKelvie was driving the car and deceased was sitting on the front seat with Mr McKelvie. There were two lamps ou the car, which were lighter! before starting. Mclutyre, au engine-driver of Saudou, also got on the car aud stood on the step. He was certain both men wore sober.

To Mr luues: The lamps were burning brightly when the car left. Edward Caple, drover of Saudou, said he was at the Saudou Hotel on the evening of October 2(sth. Hβ saw McKolvie aud Worthiugtou at tlie iiotel about 5.530 p.m. aud had two drinks with them. They had about five drinks altogether. He corroDorated the previous witness's evidence.

William James Molutyre, enginedriver ot Sandou, was at the Sandou Hotel ou the aveuing iv question. He <ta»oborated the previous evidence. HPuess left the hotel standing on the step ot the car to get a ride home, about six hundred yards from the hotel. Witness jumped off the car before it reached his house to save the trouble of stopping. McKelvie and deceased were both sober. It was not true that McKelvie attempted to take him past the house. To Mr Innes: The lamps were burning when the car left. John Dirk Wilson, farm labourer, said he was riding down from Mr Perry's house to Bulls on the Sandonroad, between 7 and 8 p.m. on October 26th. Before reaching his entrance gate from the road, he saw a motor car pass in the direction of Bulls. There were two lights on the car. Witness then rode along the road in the same direction as the car, and soon after heard two explosions in qu>ck succession. Witness rode along, and on coming to Roberts' corner he heard McKelvie calling out, and found him and deceased in the creek, on the south side of the road. McKelvie asked witness to give him a hand. Deceased was lying on the bed of the creek, and appeared to be badly injured. The car was on the opposite side of the road, some two chains away, facing a hedge. The lamps were out when wMkss reached the scene of the acciWituess at ouce want for a doctor, and reported the matter to the police. McKelvie was quite sober. To Mr Innes: The impact of the car with the bauks would have been sufficient to extinguisli the lights. ■

To Sergeaut Bowden : The distance from the scene of the accident to Perry's gate was about one mile. The explnsiou took place about three minutes after the car passed the gate.

Maurice Pearce, farmer, Ohakea, said he was at his house on the evening of October 26th, and heard two explosions iv quick succession between 7 aud 8 o'clock. He then heard someone calling out, aud went along the road to the scene of the accident. About twenty chains from the house he found McKelvie aud deceased lying on tha bed of the creek. MoKelvie was kneeling by deceased and holding up his head. Witness held deceased's head until McKelvie got a cushion from the motor car. Deceased did not speak, and died while witness was there. McKelvie was rather excited, but perfectly sober. He told witness liis friend (deceased) imagined he saw something on the rdflfc and grabbed his arm, so that he cifflu not keep the car on the road. MoKelvie also spoke to deceased, and said, "If you had only left my arm alone you would not have been lying as you are now. " George Henry Hathway, cordial manufacturer, Bulls, deposed that he went to the scene of the accident about 8 p.m. on October 26th. Witness looked at deceased with the aid of a gig lamp, aud found life extinct. McKelvie said, "Had lie left the wheel alone, this would not have happened." McKelvie was perfectly sober. To Mr Innes: McKelvie was an experienced driver. Constable Breen guve evidence as to having visited the scene of the accident on the evening in question. He had the body of deceased removed to the Courthouse at Bulls. Detective Quirke stated he and Sergeant Bowden proceeded to the scene of the accident on the day following, and made certain measurements. The road was 21ft wide where the car left it. From the mark where the car left the road to the culvert the distance was 75ft. The culvert was 29ft long, with no uprights. The distance from the culvert to where the car stopped was 90ft. Lynd Rutherford McKalvie deposed thaJjfeceased asked witness to give hinPlr ride to Bulls from Feilding. Deceased, as they were approaching the culvert, told witness .to "look out," as he was driving on the side of the road to escape the wheel ruts. Witness told him it was all right. Another chain further on deceased, without a word of warning, grabbed one of the stays that hold the steering wheel to the pillar, and was pulliug it towards him. This pulled the car oft" the road. Witness tried to recover control of the car, but failed. The car went over the edge of the culvert, and deceased was thrown out. Eeleasiug the steering wheel suddenly, the wheel came round quickly, and the car was turned into the other side of the road. The car was travelling at about twenty-six miles an hour. The liquor he had taken had not affected him. After hearing the evidence, the jury retired for twenty minutes, and returned a verdict to the effect that deceased's death was accidental.