SHOCKING ACCIDENT.

Woodville Examiner, Volume 3, Issue 282, 10 September 1886, Page 2

SHOCKING ACCIDENT.

As briefty announced in our last issue Mr J Parminter, carrier, of this town, met with a dreadful accident on Tuesday afternoon, to the injuries from which he succumbed about- an hour and a half afterwards. From particulars we have been enabled to gather, it appears that deceased himself was wholly responsible for the sad occurrence. He was driving his three-horse brake, laden with timber, over the Maunga-atna bridge at a good speed, and with a very loose rein ; a twowheeled dray, loaded with 21- tons of flour and potatoes, in charge of Mr 11. Clarke, had been drawn up to one side of the road and stopped six chains away from the bridge to allow Parminter to pass. There was ample room to admit of this, but it appears the leader in Farm inter’s brake swerved in towards Clarke’s dray and the result was a violent collision. Parminter was unseated and fell over in front, his own wheels passing over his right shoulder and right ribs, completely smashing them. Clarke and another carter named Ralfs, who had an empty dray, picked up Parminter, put him in the dray and conveyed him to his own house. Meanwhile the horses in Parminter’s brake bolted, and ran into the town full speed where they were stopped. Several school children had a very narrow escape, but no damage was done. Dr Williams attended Parminter, who, however, died shortly afterwards. The sad affair has caused quite a gloom over the town, Mr Parminter being one of the oldest settlers in the place, and a man highly respected on account of his quiet, unassuming, honest and straightforward character. AYo understand that Mr Panninter came to Woodville in 1874 as a member of the survey party under Mr J. T. Carr, who was surveying the Gorge, and when Mr Carr finished Mr Parminter was engaged in other survey work for some time. After this he bought a quarter acre section in Vogelstreet (No. 25) camped on it, felled the bush, and then left for the Kumara geld diggings. In twelve months lime he returned again, jiut up a hut for himself and started in business. He then built an accommodation house, which he leased to Ted (Smith, and put up a bakery for himself. As the demand for shops increased ho built the premises now occupied by Messrs Arm it age, and Nicholson, and the Woodville Examinkk, and the old accommodation house disappeared. Parminter tried several things after this, but linally' took up the carrying business about three years ago. About 12 months since his wife died, and he has felt his loss deeply. " THE INQUEST.

Tho inquest was held yesterday afternoon in the Courthouse before C. Hall, Esq., J.P., Acting-Deputy Coroner. The following formed the jury:—Messrs T. Moore (foreman) A. Sown-, Bradbury, J. Hutchins, Nicholson, W. Smith. The first witness called was Joseph Driukwatcr, who deposed as follows ; L have known the deceased James Parmintor, ten years. He married my daughter, Caroline Maria, five years ago at Woodville. She is since dead. The deceased had two children when he died — John and Walter. Parminter has no relatives in this Colony. Have heard that lie has a father and mother living in Plymouth, England. Parminter was a tinsmith by trade, but was working as a carrier at the time of his death. He had property in Woodvillc, and his business was in the hands of Mr Elorance, solicitor. The eldest child, John, was four years old in January ; Walter, the next, is about three years old. The children are at present in the charge of Mrs Fulford, deceased’s housekeeper. I know that deceased died without making a will. Deceased had three shops in Vogel-street; he had a lease of the house and section on which he was living. 1, with Mr Elorance took an inventory of deceased’s personal property on I ho Bth September. Herbert Clarke deposed : I am a carter living in Woodville. I remember seeing deceased James Parminter on the Masterton road on Tuesday afternoon about 3.30. Ho was about four chains on the Pahiatna side of the Mannga-atua Bridge. I was then driving a 3-horse dray with two tons of hour andhalf-a-ton of potatoes on it; Charles Haifa was close behind me

driving an empty one-horse dray, coming towards me at u walking pace. As soon as I saw him I pulled my dray off tho road as far as I could, and stopped. I was then about 0 chains on this (Woodville) side of the bridge. Parminter was then about 12 chains away. As soon as he saw me he started trotting. He was sitting on the scat on the right-hand sido of the brake driving. By the time ho got to ine tire horses were going at the rate of about ten miles an hour as near as I could judge. I noticed the reins veryloose, and swinging about; lie had no brake on. He hid no control over the horses whatever. The nave of the wheel of his brake came into collision with the nave of my wheel, about two inches. I heard a noise, but did not feel any shock as I was heavily laden. I looked' round, and saw Parminter on tho road, and both right-hand wheels of his brake went over him-I think over his chest. His horses bolted up the road as fast as they could go towards Woodville. I sat still ns Pnrminter came towards me and my team stood perfectly still. They had just come from Palmerston with that load. Deceased had on Ins brake about 500 ft of timber and two or three bags of sawdust. Directly I saw the wheels go over him I jumped down and sat Parminter up on tho road. He was alue. Parminter said “Don’t lift me, for God’s sake; I’m killed.” Ralfs, who had an empty dray behind me, helped me to lift Pannimer into his dray, and then Ralfs took him towards Woodville. I stopped, before I got to tho approach, at a good passing place and I gave him plenty of room. I was two or three inches off the metal. By Mr Sowry : He nodded and smiled as he passed; he could have “ shook hands ” with me. By Mr Bradbury : He had about 14ft to pass on. By Mr Moore : My off-side wheel was about in the middle of the metal. By the Deputy Coroner: My dray is about sft Cin from wheel to wheel ; about (iff from nave to nave. The metal is about 15ft wide at that place. Charles Ralfs: 1 remember seeing Mr Parminter on Tuesday afternoon last (The witness corroborated Clarke's evidence up to tho point reflating to the collision.) Coming off the bridge Parminter’s speed increased, and be appeared as though he was going to pass clear until he was abreast of Clarke, when his horses seemed to turn in sharp towards Clarke’s dray. Parminter’s front right wheel struck Clarke’s wheel. Parminter half lost his balance, and tried to steady himself again, but the horses bolted and lie fell between the off side “ poler ” and the wheel. I jumped out of the dray almost instantly ; Clarke has also jumped out. We picked [Parminter up, put him into my dray, and I took him to his own house. I ealled at Dr Williams ;he saw Parminter and went up in front of me. Clarke gave Parminter, if an\-thing, more than half the road. As near as I can judge the with of the metal where the collision occurred is 14ft. Parminter was driving with a very slack rein ; lie did not have proper control over the horses. It was the shock that caused him to pitch forward. Parminter had from seven to eight feet of metalled road—any amount to pass. As I was bringing him to his house, he said “ Give everything to my two children.” He never made any remark about the accident. Dr Williams; On Tuesday afternoon Mr Birss came to my door in a very great hurry, and stated (hat deceased had been seriously hurt by an accident; deceased was being brought up in a dray. When the dray arrived at my house, I spoke to Parminter. From the appearance of his face I found that that he was suffering from a severe shock and that some vital organ had been injured. He stated that his ribs were broken. I saw that he was very bad and advised the man to take him home at once. Parminter begged very hard to be allowed to be taken into my house, but as I was strongly of opinion that his injuries would prove fatal I advised that he should be taken home, as it was not far to carry him. I followed the dray, taking the necessary instruments, and reached deceased’s house before he did and prepared a stimulating draught for him. I had him undressed in his own bedroom and examined the chest. He had five ribs broken on the right side, and the collarbone factured, with severe injury to the shoulder joint. From his breathing I found that the lungs were severely lacerated. Internal bleeding had taken place, the bulging at the chest was enormous. He had a lacerated wound on his forehead, and the angle of the eye was injured, but these were not of very great importance. I bandaged up the chest, and did everything I could for deceased. The cause of death was lacerated lungs with internal hemorrhage. He lived about an hour and a half from the time of the accident. Seeing that there was no hope of his recovery I consulted with Mr Murphy, and sent Dwyer for Mr Florauce, deceased’s solicitor. Parminter, ! who was thoroughly sensible, gave Mr Florauce instructions to prepare a will dividing the property between his two children, he (Mr Florance) to act as trustee. Before Mr Florance arrived again, Parminter was dead. By Mr Bradbury: Parminter was in great distress when he answered the question?. Tins was all the evidence, and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death, but added a rider calling the attention of the Council and the Government to the dangerously narrow roads in the district. THE FUNERAL took place yesterday afternoon, and a large number of residents attended. There were eight or ten crowded conveyances and nearly 50 horsemen. The Rev. E. Robcrlshaw read the burial service.