CUBA STREET FATALITY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 75, 22 December 1919, Page 8

CUBA STREET FATALITY

THE INQUEST

DRIVER OF MOTOR LORRY NOT TO BLAME

Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., held an inquest on Saturday morning into Ihe cause of death of Yvonne Constance Lawton, the 10-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. 11. AV. Lawton, of Krull Street, Arogeltown, who was knocked down by a Defence motor lorry in Culm Street on Thursday last nnd killed. Mr. J. Preiulcville, of the Crown Law Office, appeared for the Defence Department, and Senior-Sergeant AVillis for tho police. Dr. Clay stated that death was due to injuries to the brain and skull, and probably tho internal organs were ruptured as well. The father of the deceased said that tho child hud good hearing and eyesight, but had suffered from an attack of infantilo paralysis some so von years ago, nnd was of a nervous disposition, and a little shaky. Joshua Turnbull, motor \ n-ry driver, employed 'by the Defence Department, said that lie was driving a Defence motor lorry in Cuba Street at 1.40 p.m. on Thursday. He was coming down tho street in the direction of Hie wharf. 1 As far as he could recollect' the speed was between G and 7 mile.t per nour. Tho weight of the lorry was about fc.ur tons. The little girl jumped p|f tho footpath in front of the lorry when it was about 9 or 10 feet away. Witeess . pplietl tho brakes and called out. The girl ,-ppearcd to hesitate and witness lost sight Of her on account of the hood of the motor-car bonnet. The next he knew was that the child was lying just behind the. front wheels. Tho lorry was stopped before the back wheels reached her. Witness did not think the child had noticed the lorry, and the distance she wns from the lorry when she stepped oft the footpath made it impossible to avoid an accident. He did all that was physically possiblo Tinder the circumstances, and was of opinion that the child might have got clear of tho lorry had she not hesitated.

"William James "Withy, motor-car driver, who saw the accident, stated that tho lorry was travelling on the correct eido of the street, and he estimated ihe .speed at 5 miles per hour. When the child commenced to run across the street tho lorry was about, 15 feet nway from her. A. motor horn wns sounded. Witness lost sight of the child for a mom?nt and then saw her attempting to go back. '.Ihe inside front wheel struck the deceased and passed over her. Had 'he lorry not been travelling at a slow speed and the brakes promptly applied the rear wheels of the lorry must have passed over the body. In his opinion the. driver did rll that was possible to avoid an accident. To Mr. Prendeville: The'.casual waj persons step off tjie footpath on to the road was a constant source of terror to motor drivers.

Constable limit in his evidence statal that: tho lorry was about sft. _ from tlie footpath at the timo of the accident, and from where the brakes vere first /ipplicil the lorry skidded a distance of ?2ft. Senior-Sergeant Willis said that there were a number of eye-wi4ii°s c es to the unfortunate accident, and Ihey were all of the opinion that it could not l.ave been avoided by the driver of the motor lorry. Mr. Preudeville stated that as. a result of the accident drivers of Defence vehicles had been instructed tnat in future they were not to drive through the main streets. It appeared that the accident, which was a most unfortunate cne, was due to the fact that the (lvild stepped off the footpath without taking notice of motor or other traffic. It was ouite a common-'practice for persons to step on to the road without giving heed to the traffic. i The Coroner, in summing up, paid the child apparently stepped off the footpath without thinking of the traffic, and was in front of the motor lorry before she noticed it. The Koundins: of the horn and the warning cries of the driver might have disconcerted a child of a nervous disDOsition and not too strong on her feet, and her idea would probably be that safety lay in the direction from which she had come. Possibly had she i.ot turned back the accident might not have occurred. but it was uo(, certain even then that tlie accident could have been avoided. The lorry was very close on her, and though it was pulled up with all possible expedition one,wheel passed over the child. The accident was a most regrettable one, and must have caused a fearful shock to the parents, to whom the svmjiathy of all would be extended. The driver was proceeding at a moderate speed oil his correct side of the road, and it appeared that no blame was attachable to him. As Cuba Street was a 'narrow and busy street it would be advisable lor heavy motor traffic to avoid that and other narrow and-congested sheets. The Coroner found that the child was accidentally killed.