SHUNTING FATALITY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 420, 1 February 1909, Page 8

SHUNTING FATALITY.

CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.

MORE LIGHT WMTEDi

/■An .inquest; was \"i held ; .before , Dr. AM'Arthur (coroner) and a'-jurj-'pf six, on.Satufday afternoon, on the -body:. of George Alexander Watkinsj who was .killed on Friday, night'-by_being run over by. a truck whilst engaged in shunting at tlie Thorndon Railway Station. . ~ v ■.'■.'.■ ' .'■■'

.-;Sergeant' Kelly appeared-pnvbehalf of the police,.and Mr:, Myers for the" Railway Department.- Mr. H. B. Bridge was foreman of the jury. ;

The'-first witness called, was Dr. A. W. Izard. He,said he was. called, to'the Thorndon Station about: 10.15 on Friday night to see. a man who had been runioyer. When he got to the station.the.men:.were, .bringing the.body in , on a• stretbheri''-. He' stopped, the stretcher,: and .found that lifgvin the-man was.-,extinct. ..Death must have'.been instari-. taneous. v The' wheel,must have.passed .right over the abdomen The right.armiwa's broken. Such -injuries would have, he'eii!'caused by a truckpassing over the. body.- ■';■:' '..;.•.' ■■. .' -•. ■; John Thomas Brady, shunter; employed at Thorndon-Railway Stationy; said that on Friday night; a't 10.15 ; ■ there - were .on .duty at the station,' ..Senior Shunter"- Dugdale, himself, and .deceased. They/were. employed in "breaking up." the spe'cial.which'arrived at 9 Vclqck. It was the citify 'of Dugdale to,cut off the wagons, and^all.-put'what road they .were_ to gq.-pn. : ,.Witness.-was.: working at the points, turping Vtlem'.:'between the wagons. The-deceased was/employed'in'putting, the. brakes on.the wagons r -to prevent heavy bumps.: At'-.the..time.'of/.the accident, they had "kicked." 'some wagons, oh ,to the shed-road.-and deceased' Sad attended to the -brakes of these. The'next two wagon's were "..kicked " on to. the road;.".6 ; 'g6bds." Deceased left the : .wagbnß on ,'the- "shed"road and went.over,to.the ." s'goods.";fbad.- Wit-ness,-who/was .watching, deceased, saw - his hand : lamp; drop, arid .'he; immediately called put to:Dugdale.to-stbp>:'apnliedv.tHje Westingbrake, .- gave -.the':.; When, the/truck •stbpped-he"'saw. 'that deceased .was.'under the wheel;'.'. He-called this .out to.Dugdale, and 'ran;to. teletihpno'fbr a doctor..; Deceased had bee ; n working in' the yard for.eight days,, and' knowledge of he. was a'..;ca'p'ab)e and\ca'reful nian, a,.pon-smoker : and/a.. abstainer." ;-':,To Sergeant .Kelly.": The.'acciderit.took .place 'about: 200. yards .from/.the" sta'tion"; It,was very .dark in/that / If they had had a better light they would have been able',til get .through their ..work quicker and ■with greater safety.. ,There/..yji's'.an':a'rclight 'about 100 yards.'fro'in'.the. sceije of the accident; :bnt. on Friday night th'pre;'were sbirie empty stock, wag'bns whichi ;tKr'ew:"a ; shallow arid;ob?cured. the 'light' from tKe arclamp from the. scene.of the accident.:,'.v '.-' ' '.

; To Mr.'Jlyers: AJliheEliunters .carried lanv terns, and had enough ligh'tte' see. wi'dt,they yere-doing; He had .remarked-to the senior shunter .that''more light'waSare'guiied', but bo' far. as\he knew no request haoVeyer gone':into., the'..manageinent for-this: ;'• ''.:/:.:-:\ <..-.■.';;■.■;•.■'■ ; .' ; Tq.t.he foreman of ,thp jury iJThe'y-were not supposed, to-' - ",kick'" the jrucks\»i. S'.greater rate! than: five; miles'.an hqijr. .It .was._the : uslial,idling..ip' step,.in.front %(: 'a'.'.'.iopying truck:-.toilet' ; dowri:the v hoik,', "iiistea'df of r'fol-lowingrifeand-iWaitin'giuritir.it:Stopped;.: . ■ . ;v, John, Morgan: : pugdale,'-'s_enijDr. .shuiiter-at thevTKbrnHon.'Biilway. Station? corroborated •Bfa'dyls'eTidenpe..; , '>%]. V ■- \:--i./l-: '!.■■■■*:. /;:';■. .-i-Byrne, .Stanley: Bland, engihe-dnver.:'and fireman on the.engine ■which was employed.in ,'.'picking .tnat,.the>truok under- 'which* .coUld not- 'haVe.-beeh; travelling.Jidore'. than : .'. ! . '. ■.■. After •retiring 'for ja'.' few .Jnio'iherit's the'jury 'returned, a' 1 verdict'•_ of accidental.; death; no .blame;being attachable to. anyone;',The fol-lowing;rider-wasladded: "thiiik that, ■a- repommehdation '.Bβ; , made ...to the railway' anthb : 'ritie>" that .where,- , pight. 'sh'uritihg ,; is carried out -it; is desirable that the area in which'' -should be/as brilliantly'■ lit;up,a'f possible. :The'evidenoS ft ,t#^cßfi;that; there light'eonsistent with ■'safety , .'