MOTOR CYCLE TRAGEDY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16017, 7 January 1920, Page 5

MOTOR CYCLE TRAGEDY.

DEATH OP NORMAN GILLIES. RESULT OP EXCESSIVE SPEED. At Peilding yesterday Coroner Goodbehero continued the inquest on the death of Mr Norman Gillies, who was thrown from his motor bicycle near Sandon, on New Year’s Day, and died from injuries received. Sergeant Cahm conducted the case for the police. Andrew N. Roberts, son of Mr F. J. Roberts, of Pohangina, said that he was driving his father’s car home from the Marton races on New Tear’s Day. Gillies passed their car on the Feilding side of Sandon on his motor cycle, and should say he was travelling at about 40 miles an hour. Saw him. again about a mile further on, when Gillies was lying quite unconscious on the roadside. The bicycle was lying just ahead of him. He had a wound on tlie side of his head. Witness brought Gillies into Peilding in the car. He died on the way in. Pred. Pirani, journalist, said he used to know the deceased when the latter was a boy. At 5.30 on January 1 he saw Gillies passing through Bulla in the direction of the bridge on an Indian motor bicycle at over 40 miles an hour. Ten minutes later witness caught up to Gillies, who had been held up by a line of motor cars on the bridge. Witness spoke to Gillies, and suggested that there was plenty of room for him to walk past the cars. He laughed and said he would soon pass all the cars when he got on to the road. He was quite calm and collected and rational. He was then on the wrong side of the road, and waited to come behind witness’s car, so as to get on the right side of the road as the car moved off. As witness got on the road past the bridge, Gillies whizzed past at a tremendous pace—between 40 and 50 miles. It appeared to be a new bicycle, and the Indians go at a great speed. About ten minutes afterwards witness saw Mr Roberts, sen., and another person lifting Gillies off the road and putting him in a motor car. Someone picked up the bicycle from the roadside. Gillies’ head was smothered in blood. Quite unconscious. Mr Roberts held deceased on his knee all the way to Peilding. Mrs Roberts made room in the car by coming into witness’s car, and the latter followed Mr Roberts’s car to the surgery of Dr Phillips in Peilding. The speed at which Gillies was travelling was dangerous under the conditions. There were 15 or 20 motor cars on the road, and the 5 bicycle would have to take the roadside. 'lhe _ centre of the road is good, but there is loose gravel on the side of the road. There is a good deal of exhilaration in motor cycling, which induces men to travel faster than they realise they are going. The only similar feeling of exhilaration in his experience was that of flying. The Coroner thanked Mi* Roberts, senr., for the services, he rendered in this case.

Coralie V, E. Matthews, daughter of Mr Henry Matthews, ,of Mount Stewart, said she was on the SandonAwahuri Road on New Year’s Day, driving a dogcart, at 5.30 o’clock. Gillies passed her on his bicycle at great speed, on his right side. When he was 200 or 300 yards past, witness saw a big cloud of dust ahead of her. When it had cleared, she saw Gillies on. the roadside. Did not see him move. Before witness reached the spot a motor car passed her, pulled up, and went to the help of the man on the road, and had him in the car before she reached the spot. She could see that he was badly injnred. There was a stream of blood. There was no vehicle of any kind near Gillies when the accident happened, and there was no obstruction whatever on the road. There was dust and loose gravel on the side where the accident happened.

Constable Anderson gave evidence regarding the condition of the body. He visited and examined the scene of the accident, where there was evidence of deceased having bled profusely. There was a very severe wound over the left temple, and the skull was fractured. The Coroner returned a verdict to the effect that Norman Gillies had met his death by accident, through a fractured .skull, caused by being thrown off his motor bicycle when travelling at a high rate of speed on the side of the Sandon Road.