THE FATAL ACCIDENT, RIVER ROAD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1496, 24 March 1885, Page 2

THE FATAL ACCIDENT, RIVER ROAD.

An inquest was held yesterday al Wakanui, before Mr H. Friedlander

J.P., coroner and a jury of whom Mr J. Protheroe was chosen foreman upon the body of John Bennett, the unfortunate victim of the accident referred to in yesterday’s issue. The jury having viewed the body the following evidence was taken •. —

Robert Bennett, a nephew of deceased, said that he had seen the latter at about eight o’clock on Saturday evening. He (the deceased) was then driving a horse and dray. He left Trevorton about half-

past eight, with the intention of return 1 ing to his own residence. He was alone and appeared sleepy. Witness had not seen him again alive.—To the jury ; Witness did not think, if the road had been good, the deceased would have met with the accident. The horse was strange to deceased, but perfectly quiet. John Parker, a farm laborer in the employ of Mrs Gibson, said that shortly alter nine o’clock on Sunday morning, while riding from Wakanui to Ashburton, his attention was attracted to a horse and dray lying capsized in a broach across the River roa >. Witness, on closer inspection, noticed a man lying underneath the dray, and communicated with Mr Wakelin and then with the polios.—To the jury . The horse and dray had apparently fallen 8 or 10ft. Thera was no rail or guard in front of the breach. Witness considered the road dangerous. Andrew Leatham, farmer, said that he had accompanied Henry Wakelin to the ttiver road on Sunday morning, and had there noticed a horse and dray overturned with the deceased lying on bis iace with a portion of the dray across his shoulders. Witness had assisted to remove deceased, and the body was then taken charge of by the police. The road where ihe accident occurred had beau In a dangerous condition for some time. The road had been closed up previous to the protective works, now in course, beiug undertaken' by the County Council. He understood cnat the barricade bad been removed by a contractor. —To the coroner : Witness some time ago had direotedjjthe attention of the Chairman of the Wakanui Road Board to the dangerous condition of the road.—To the jury : The road could be used with safety during daylight by passing by the river bed. Henry Wakelin, laborer, said that he had accompanied tha last witness on Sunday morning to the scene of the accident. He corroborated the evidence of the last witness. —To jury: Witness had lived in the neighborhood for about twelve months, A barricade had been erected in front of the dangerous part of the road some time ago, but it had been washed away and not since restored. A fence at the entrance of the road had also been removed. Witness considered the road very dangerous, and while in its preaerft condition thought it should be closed against traffic. Robert Bennett, contractor, resident in Trevorton, a brother of the deceased, said that the deceased was fifty-six years of age. Witness had been in the company of deceased m Ashburton on Saturday.— To the jury: Witness bad seen deceased alive last at about half past seven on Saturday evening, when he left witness to obtain some bread to take home. The jury having retired, returned with the following verdict--r-“ That John Bennett met with his death by the dray in which he was driving falling over an embankment on the River road." The jury added as a rider to their verdict—“ That the River road in its present condition is highly dangerous, and this jury are strongly of opinion that the Wakanui Road Board should have taken some steps to guard against accident.’' The Coroner was requested by the jury to forward a copy of the rider to the Chairman of the Wakanui Road Board.