MOTOR CYCLE FATALITY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 96, 16 January 1918, Page 3

MOTOR CYCLE FATALITY

An inquest was hold yesterday afternoon b,y Mr. W. G. .Riddel!, S.M., into tho circumstances attending the death of Adolph John Schulenberg, of Creswick Terrace, Northland, who met with an accident on Saturday afternoon, and died in tho Wellington Hospital early on Sunday morning. Victor Ernest Larcomb, a clerk in the employ of tlio Gollm Proprietary Company, stated that tbo deceased ivas about thirty-five years of age, a married man without family, and hud been employed in tho samo office as witness. On Saturday, about 4.45 p.m., witness was riding his motor-cyclo with sidecar attached down a, very steep grade in Northland. Schulenberg was in the side-car. The machine travelled slowly at first, but gradually gathered speed. AVitness said ho applied the brake, but found that it had littlo effect. While turning tho corner from Creswick Terrace into Northland Road he had to turn tho handle bars to the right,, and in doing this tho left handlegrip came off. The machine appeared to be heading for a largo rock at the corner of tho road, when tho deceased reached from tho side-car and grabbed both handle-bars, and hi doing so tho machine turned -sharply to the left, with tho result that h capsized over the bank and fell on to the road, iho deceased was thrown clear of the machine, and appeared to have struck his head in the fall. Witness fell under the machine, and was dazed. AVhen he camo to he found Schulenberg lying a few feet away; he was unconscious,and appeared to'bo seriously hurt. Witness telephoned for Dr. Faulke and the ambulanoe, and both arrived a few minutes later. The machine was in good running order, as it had been takon to pieces and thoroughly cleaned. He had been riding a motor for about eight or nine years. Tho motor-cyclo was owned by the deceased. Henry Shapcott, residing in Faun Road, Northland,'close to the. scene of the acoident, said ho was in his garden fit the time of the accident, and Tins attracted to the scene by the noise. He found Schulenberg lying on his backon the road, bleeding from the nose, mouth, and ears, and unconscious. Larcomb was getting on to his feet when witness arivea. He was cut about the head. The height of the bank where tho accident took place was about twenty foot. u

The modical evidence was to tbo effect that when Schulenberg was admitted to tho Hospital he was unconscious, and remained so until his death. Hβ was injured about tlio face .ind the base of the skull was fractured.

The Coroner said it was a \niro accident that could not liavo been prevented, and returned a verdict that death resulted from injuries caused by an accidental fall over a bank while riding in a side-car attached to a motorcycle.