Inquest Into Death of Man Struck By Car

Chronicle (Levin), 17 February 1949, Page 4

Inquest Into Death of Man Struck By Car

The inquest into the death of Herbert Gestro, aged 61, baker, of Otaki, who was killed on thjs main highway near Levin, on Christmas Eve, was held in the Courthouse, Levin, yesterday before the Coroner, Mr. W. A. Calwell. The inquest was condiicted by Sergeant W. Grainger, of the Levin Police. Marvin Joseph Gestro, deceased's son,.who is a farmhand in the district, said that on the night of the accident, December 24, he ha'd been driving home from Palmerston North when, at about 10.30 p.m., he had discovered the car had a puncture in the right rear tyre. The locality had been about a mile south of Levin and he had stopped the car, While he jacke'd it up, his father had been attending to the fitting of the spare wheel. The vehicle had required lifting slightly higher, and while he was doing this, the car had slipped off the jack and rolled forward. At that moment, a car had come up from behind and hit his father. He had seen the headlights approaching and they had appeared to swerve out away from the vehiclb, but the nearsi'de had struck his father. To Mr. Birks, of Wellington, who represented the driver of the car which hit deceased, Gestro said that the tail-light of his father's car had been on the right side just inside the line of the mudguard. It was possible that he ha'd obscured the light while working the jack. Dr. E. T. G. Miller, a medical practitioner, of Levin, gave evidence relating to the injuries received 'by deceased. Death appeared to have taken place within half an hour of his examination of the body. Anthohy George Howie, a commercial traveller, of Wellington, Who was the driver of the car which

struck Gestro, . said that he had been 'driving at about 35-40 m.p.h. He had passed a number of cars coming from the opposite directioh and had been drfving close to the left hand side of the road. He had •dipped his lights for an oncoming car wnen he had felt his vehicle strike sompching, He had stopped, within about 30 yards. He had not seen ■ anything on the road just prior to the impact. Constable W. R. Gillespie, gave evidence of having gone,,to the scene of the accident. He had carried out' brake t'ests of Howie's car am'd had found it had stopped within 14 feet at '20 m.p.h. He would enter a verdict; _ iii accordance with the medical evidence, commented Mr. • Calwell, that death was due to a fracture to the base of the skull, multiple in^ ternal injuries and shock caused through being struck by a motorcar -driven by Anthony Georgil Howie.