FATAL MOTOR ACCIDENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 199, 17 May 1919, Page 8

FATAL MOTOR ACCIDENT

A CERISTCHUKCH.INQUIRY. By Telegraph—Press Association....- ' Christchurch, May 16. The adjourned inquest on G. C. Tothill. a well-known seed merchant, who was killed as tho, result of a motorcar, driven ,by his daughter, colliding with an unlignted vehiole on the -night of May 3, was continued to-day. The Coroner, Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, returned a verdict of accidental death, and added that tho oart was'flighted and on the wrong side of - tho road, and that tho car was on its Tight side and had lights. He also added tho following rider: (l; The . evidence disclosed the. need for a by-law limiting the speed at which mo-tor-drivein vehicles can lawfully bo driven in the city, the prescribed.speed varying according to the density of tho traffic. (2) Tho evidence further disolosed the need for legislation providing that immediately on a traffic accident happening one or other of the persons concerned therein: shall be .placed under duty to notify the local authority of the accident; and that some officer of the-local authority shall be placed under duty to immediately repair. to the sceno of , accident and take a noto of .marks on the road .caused by the accident, and accurately "delineate-such, marks' on a plan drawn .to scale. , (3) The evidence further discloses that there is a wholesale failure on the part of riders and drivers of all classes of vehicles to comply with the traffio by-laws, and that thero does not appear to bo any adequate attempt by the local authority- to control, traffic or bring offenders to book." '