FATAL ACCIDENT

Waikato Times, Volume 87, Issue 13270, 28 August 1916, Page 4

FATAL ACCIDENT

LAD RUN OVER AT CAMBRIDGE.

On Saturday a lad, aged 16g years, whose parents reside in Cuba street, Wellington, was accidentally yilled by being thrown from a waggon load of crushed barley that lie was driving from' Hautapu to .Mr J. Watt s residence, "Abergeidie," near Cambridge. He was riding on top of the load, when one oi the liags on which lie was silting slipped and precipitated him on to the< load, the wheels of the vehicle passing over him. The accident occurred close to the entrance gates to Mr Watt's farm, and nothing was known of the matter unid -Mr C. J. Poake saw Kas musseii lying on the road: and he con vcyed the lad lo "Abergeidie;" when the .Mioses Wait rendered first aid They telephoned for Dr. Edmonds, bu when he arrived the boy was dead. Yesterday afternoon an inquest wa held by Mr G. Dickinson, J.P., and i jui v. when a verdict was returned that the death was accidental, and that noj blame was attachable to anyone. Evidence was given by Messrs C. J. Peake, H. V. Bowatcr (a chum of deceased!, Stephen S. Allwill, Dr. Edmonds, Constable Cleary, and the Misses Jessie and Margaret Watt. Ihe doctor deposed the lad's liver being ruptured was the cause of death, and -Mr Allwill stated the barley was loaded in the usual manner and safely; but if deceased had been an experienced driver he would have noticed the bag on which lie was sitting was slipping and would have pulled up and made it safe, also ihat only one bag was moved. It ap-' pears the horses successfully negotiated the gateway, % and were found standing at I lie end ot their journey patiently waiting to be unyoked. Deceased had otiiv been in tiie employ of Mr Watt for 12 davs, and seemed compedent to do the work.