ACCIDENTALLY KILLED

Chronicle (Levin), 23 January 1948, Page 4

ACCIDENTALLY KILLED

Coroner's Verdict on Crossing Fatality That'' Elena Cliilcott Wilson, spinster, aged 69, of ,169 Cambridge Street, Levin, met her death as a result of injuries. received when she -was aceidentally sfruck by the Wellington-New Plymouth, express, was the finding of the Coroner, Mr. "J. S. Moir, at an inquest held in Levin recently. The accident occurred at the Queen Street level crossing at midday on December 19. Ad'ding a rider, Mr. Moir said it was realised that such occurrences .greatly disturbed engine drivers, but in this case the driver of the engine could t'ake . comfort" from. the fact that in this case the tragic accident wa's quite unavoidable. The engine driver, David William Lindsay Anthony, stated that he had been approaching the Queen Street crossing at about 45 m.p.h, He had sounded a long blast at the Bath Street crossing, and continued it over the crossing. When within 100 yards south of Queen Street, he had noticed a woman in a dark dress crossing the line from the east to the west. He sounded the whistle, which she • apparently did not hear, and applied the brakes but the speed could not be reduced enough. to allow her to cross the -line completely. She had been struck, by the cow-catcher, picked up, and thrown clear to the rightrhand.side of. the engine.