FATAL COLLISION

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19600, 12 June 1935, Page 8

FATAL COLLISION

TRUCK DRIVER’S DEATH.

CRASH AT HAMILTON EAST.

INVESTIGATION BY CORONER,

Arising out of a collision between a motor-truck driven by Hugh Hendon Gillies, aged 19 years, and a car driven by John Patrick Shivran, of Auckland, at the intersection of Galloway and Naylor Streets, Hamilton East, at 2.30 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, last, an inquest was held before the coroner, Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., to-day into the death of Gillies, who was fatally injured.

Senior-Sergeant G. 11. Lambert led the depositions, Mr J. F. Strang appeared for the driver of the car, Shivran, and Mr N. S. Johnson appeared for the relatives of the deceased.

■Constable V. G. Naylor stated that he found both vehicles at the intersection of Naylor and Galloway Streets. The truck had overturned. The tyro marks made by the truck could be seen for a distance of 43ft. and the point of impact was Gft. from the left edge of the bitumen in Naylor Street. Photographs of the vehicles and the scene of the accident and a plan of the intersection were produced by witness.

Dr. D. F. Price, of the medical staff of the Waikato Hospital, said he examined the deceased on April 13 but he was dead when, admitted to hospital. Death was due to cerebral haemorrhage as a result of a fracture of the skull. '|'here were other extensive injuries, indicating that the deceased was struck on the right side with extreme force-

Car Travelling at Excessive Speed. Archibald Silvester Mathieson, foreman employed by the Hamilton Borough Council, said he resided .on the corner of Galloway and Naylor Streets and' from his window he saw a car travelling north along Galloway Street on the afternoon of April 13 at a fast rate of speed. He lost sight of the car and then heard a crash. 'He rushed outside and saw an overturned lorry and a car with, the roof smashed Several petrol drums were lying about. He was satisfied that the car he saw previously was the one involved in the collision. He saw a man lying on the grass between the car and the lorry. Witness said he inspected the car thoroughly later and found that most of the damage was on the left side. The vehicle was in good mechanical order.

To Mr Johnson, witness said the corner was the scene of a fair number cf accidents. In his opinion the car was travelling at an excessive speed approaching the intersection. To the Coroner, witness said Naylor Street was a main highway and carried a large volume of traffic. There was poor visibility at the intersection. On Correct Side. Zoe Edna Court, single, who also resides at the corner of Naylor and Galloway Streets, said she saw the truck involved in the accident from her window. The truck was on its correct side and not travelling at more than 25 miles per hour.' She also saw the car concerned approach the intersection on its correct side. It was travelling faster than the truck. There was no other traffic about at the time. Charles Lambeth, architect, residing near the scene of the accident, said lie attended the occupants of the car, who were slightly injured. The truckdriver who was unconscious, was lying under the roof of the cab. Louis Norman Sargent, service-sta-tion proprietor, of Naylor Street, said he looked towards Galloway Street on hearing a crash and saw the truck, which was loaded with benzine drums, slowly turning over. He found the passengers of the car scattered about the footpath in Galloway Street. Observations be made alter the accident were detailed by Thomas Alexander Bradley, blacksmith, of Hamilton East. These corroborated previous evidence. Car Driver’s Account.

Tiic driver of the car involved, John Patrick Shivran, employed by J. C. Robertson, of Te Kuiti, stated that he had visited the Hamilton East Cemetery and was travelling along Galloway Street towards the intersection at 25 miles per hour. He reduced speed to 20 miles per hour or less travelling over the intersection. He saw the truck approaching and swerved to the right. That was all he remembered until lie was picked up in a dazed condition on the grass, lie was 15ft. away from the truck when lie first saw it. He had no idea of the speed of the truck. None of the passengers in his car was seriously injured. To Mr Johnson, witness said he had been driving about 8 years and had had rio previous accidents. The car belonged to his cousin and he had driven it frequently. He had travelled from Te Kuiti that morning and was returning from tiie Cun era! of a relative. He denied Hi a t he had had any drinks before the funeral. He was a stranger to Hamilton East and did not know be was approaching a main highway before the accident.

The Coroner: Could you see you were coming to a bitumen road?—No, I did not notice.

Witness said he intended to cross Naylor Street as he understood that was the way back to town. The truck was on ijs correct side. He could not recall whether he sounded his horn, lie could not see the truck before lie reached the intersection because a bus shelter obscured Hie view.

To the coronet - , witness said lie never thought there might he tralhc approaching and hidden behind the bus shelter. On reaching the inlerseclion lie looked to the right ami lie went on lo the centre of Ihe intersection without ascertaining whether there was any tra 111 c approaching from Ihe left.

Edward Frederick O’Neill, railway employee, of Auckland, a passenger in Khivran's ear, said lie was silling in 11 1 e rear seat. lie did not see the truck approaching and recovered consciousness lying on I lie grass beside the road. In his opinion Shivran’s speed before the accident was moderate.

Bcplying •(o Mr Johnson, witness could not say whether the car slackened speed r.l Ihe corner or whether the horn was sounded. Witness denied that lie had been in any hotel before llie accident. (Proceeding.)