THE MOTOR FATALITY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1129, 17 May 1911, Page 2

THE MOTOR FATALITY.

INQUEST AT PETONE, DEATH BY MISADVENTURE. The City Coroner (Dr. A. Si/Arthur, S.M.) held on inquest at Pclono yesterday afternoon touching tho death of Harold William James Wallslrom, the little Iwy •who was killed bv a motor-car on tho llutt ltoad on Monduv nftcrnoon. Sergeant Foster represented the police, and Mr. A. W. Blair watched the proceedings on behalf of Kobert Packer, driver of (he car, and Samuel Jenkins, its owner. Mr. A. Wallslroni, father of deceased, waa also present. Dr. Murdoch William Ross, of Pclono, who was called by telephone to tho scene(opposite Austin's' mill on the Hutt Hoad) on Monday afternoon, stated (hat when he examined the bady ho found life extinct. He described the injuries, and added that death must have been in- | stantaneous.

ltobsrt Packer, chauffeur, deposed that he had been acting for his present employer for Hire* weeks, but hod previously driven other cars for about 18 months on and off. A( about 3.50 p.m. on Monday, witness was driving to Wellington. Besides himself the ear contained Messrs. Prank Mulders, William' Hyde, and Samuel Jenkins. The last-named was in front with witness. Tho ear was a 2(1 h.p. Halo, and was running at from twelve to fifteen miles an hour. It was on the proper sido of tho road. When opposite Austin's mill, the ear began to approach an express, which was proceeding in the opposite direction. When about 20 yards from the express, witness noticed a little boy emerge ffom behind the express, and run to the footpath on witness's side of (he road. Shortly after, and just as the car was almost level with, the back of tho express, a second boy ran out, and was immediately knocked 'down and run over. The car was pulled up in about 20 yards. His brakes were all in good order, but the accident could not have been avoided, even had the car been going more slowly. Dr. M Gavin, who passed a few minutes after tho accident, was stopped for' assistance, and then tho police were informed. There were a number of children about the road at tho time, and also a number of vehicles on the 1 road. If anyone staled (hat the car was travelling trom twenty to thirty miles an hour, that was wrong, no considered that he was driving at a reasonable pace.

Mr. Blair: When the first boy crossed the car, did you slacken speed in any way?—" Yes, by reducing the throttle." And did you give'any signal?—"l blew the horn."

Tho children, v.hom you referred to,' wore they on the road or on tho footpath?—''On the footpaths on either side " Did you actually apply .all the brakes? —"1 tried all the brakes, but missed tho hand brake, and was afraid to grab for it again for fear that T would release tho clutch and foot brake in doing to. I had one foot on the clutch, which cut off tho engine, and the other on the foot brake. The Coroner: "What age are you?— "Seventeen years and three mouths."

Samuel Jenkins, farmer, of Eltham, and owner of the car, gave corroborative evidence, ns did Frank Mulders, motor engineer, of llartin Street, Wellington. Margaret M'l.ean, married woman, and a boardinghouso-koeper, residing on (ha Hutt Road, recounted how, while standing in front, of her residence on Monday afternoon, she had witnessed tho accidont. She had not noticed the first boy leaving tho express, but she saw tho .second boy run right into the car, and bo run aver. The ear was not going at au excessive speed. Arthur Ernest Silvcrwood, lettercarrier, also gave evidence as to witness ing tho accident. Albert Peck, express driver, residing at Lower Hutt, considered that when he passed tho motor-car obo'it i p.m. on Monday tho latter was travelling at about 15 to 20 miles an hour. Witness had not noticed any boys behind his express; and did not see the accident. He, however, heard son'tcfliioynMho'.car call out just as the car was opposite the express. At the conclusion of the evidence, deceased's father asked the Coroner if thero were any regulations as to a Sliced limit on the road.

The Coroner replied that tho lav: only fixed "a reasonable tpeod in the circumstances." There was no definite limit, such as existed in some of the small villages at Home, whero notices indicated the speed which must not bo exceeded. 13nt, oven if thero had been a by-law. or other regulation fixing the speed, ho (tho Coroner) considered that the accident was of such a nature that nothing could have saved the boy, and there was nothing in ;lie evidence'that would justify a statement that the car had been driven at an excessive paca. The verdict was: "That deceased was accidentally killed through misadventure, no blame being attached to the driver of tho motor-car."