JERVOIS QUAY TRAGEDY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 217, 8 June 1920, Page 6

JERVOIS QUAY TRAGEDY

INQUEST CONCLUDED

AN OPEN VERDICT RETURNEI The inquest touching tlio death of Willi Oombs, who was killed through a collisio with a motor lorry on Jervois Quay o Jlay 31, was concluded yesterday beToi Mr. W. G. Riddc.ll. S.M. Senior-Sergeant- Kelly appeared for th police, Mr. C. A. L. Treadweli for tli widow, and Mr. H. E Kvans for Inglj Eros., ownws of the motor lorry. Alexander King, driver of a motor lorr and employed by the Union S.S. Co., gai that on May 31 he went to Q shed, an after loading there he was. told tha there -were more <rood 3 for him x at R shet As ho was froin? to ft shed ho ft two-horse van backcd into the ahec and he drove his lorry towards thetran lino for the purpose of backing into thi shed. The horse vehicle was about 1 yards from him on the south side. II did r.ot see tho two men until afte they were struck. lie did not hear th horn sounded. Ho did not see tho acc dent. Frank Edward Dornwell, clerk, employe hy A. S. Paterson and Co., Ltd.. said tha about 4.40 n.m. lie was driving a motor-ca from the Post Office alon* Jervois Quaj Just before reaching Wilieaton Street h Baw Inglia Bros.' motor lorry about 1 yards in front of him It was tr&Yollin' •fit about 10 or 12 miles per hour, Whei nearing Harris Street he noticed nevera vehicles, on tho right side drawi across thie road at right-'angles and abou 65ft. from the shed. It "was stationary lnplifl Bros,' lorry slewed to pass the lorr and witness wept slightly to tho left. H< saw two nwn behind the heads of horse? .lust when Inglis Bros/ lorry readied or positc tho horses' heads and not inori tiian 10ft. from them. The distance be twecn tho two men and the lorry woult bo -about 10ft. At that time' tho lorr: would be travelling at eight mile* pe: hour. He then Baw the men knocked ovpi and the lorry travelled about a lentil and a half beforfe it was pulled up. Hi did not hear any horn sounded. To Mr. Treadweli: The lorry slowed dowi to Jess than eight miles to nass theUnior lorry, and gathering 6pee( when it struck tho men. Malcolm in the employ o: Inn-Ms Bros., said' that on the afternoor of Ai>av 31 "he was driving, tlio motor lorr? with Mr, "Redmond. Eedmond drove thi lorry to the station, and on coming barP witness was allowed to drive He "eloww down passing the entrance .of th® Queen'; Wharf and was on his proper side oi JervoiH Qmy. The lorry was travelling twelve Tjmos nor hour: he reduced the nueod to e;>ht miles, and did not. increase it. Nearintr Harris Street ha saw ? motor-car in front of him. and the Unio* Com.pjiT>y'R lorry was crossing over towaivf.» t.ho middle of tho rond. Witnesp swerved the car to eet behind the Union Com panv s lorry. Ho then Raw two in front of him about 10ft.'awa-y. Witness sounifV the horn. The horses were to a and were standi"" still. Witness swerved the car to cleat the horses' heads, and just as he got ir to the horses two men came from behind [ho horses and stepped in front of his lnvry. They wpre about 3ft. or 4ft. Witness immediately closed the throttle and applied the foot brake. The lorry struck both men. He swerved the lorry to tho rirrlit. Ho was travelling at, about fivto or bix miles, certainly no more than eiahfc milnß. Redmond allied the handbrake. * The lorry did not eo more than its own lentrth b«firo it was nulled aid. The Coroner: There vraa another man knocKcd down, and not one of the two men who cn-mc behind the horses. Did you Bee him?—"No, sir." To Mr. Treadweli: He had been in the employ of In<?lis Bros, for about a fortnight. He had never driven a motor lorry for Inplifl Bros, prior to May 31. Mr. Treadweli: Did vow tell Redmond you were a certificated driver?-"I told him I could drive./' Did you nearly have an accident with another veihiclo near tho Post Office?—" No. buy' After leaving the Poet Office did yon drive at 15 miles per hour?—"No, sir." Witness, continuing, said h« blew the horn after passing round the Union Company s lorry. Ho did not sre Mr. Croll .lump cloir of the lorry. Ho Haw tw* men knocked down, but did not seo Oroll at all. i anß: He had driven motor-cars In Masterton. and had since "worked in a aarage 'in Wellington and thoroughly understood the mechanism of a motor lorry. John-Hercules Redmond, oertiflcated motor-djiver employed bv In/rlis Bros., snid that on May 31. he* was with the last witness on the motor lorry when the vehicle was being driven along Jervois Quay. Thb speed was ahout twelve miles per hour. Harris Street ho saw a motor lorry pulling out from tl* Harbour Board shed, and they Blowed down to pass bolnnd the lorry, an* the lorry they saw a two-horse' vehicle near the shed Robertson swerved the lorry to tho ridit. ard just then two men came from behind the Ijorses about two feet from tho lorry. II? heard n. shout wt before ho flnulicd the hand-bralte— Robertson annlied tlio isot-hralie. Two men wero ltnocM orer. The men appeared very suddenly from the horses The lorry was brouelit up to a standstill m its own lennth. ■To Mr. Evans: Tho weight of tho lorry was jnet ever IJrwt.. and the Itemuth overall was 18ft. The first he saw of tho two' men was when \the lorry was practically on them. Witness thomrht Robertson was a (wpnhln driver; ho took every sten to avoid strikinc thb two men. Coroner's Finding. Tho Coroner, in recording his fin diner, said that tlm evidence as to the' Eiieed at «?lnch the vehiclo was traveling, and' an lo the distance between t.hij men and the I'elncle when tliev first came in sieht of jno another, and the evidence as to the iistance* tho lorry travelled after rtriltin" he men was somewhat confiictln?. For that reason a.nd also for the reason thnt .here mleht be other proceedings 'he proposed to return an open verdict. Mr some evidence of . but rt'hether it was encnerh to establish lability was anothpr Hib finding would be that Willii? Oombs died at the tVellington Hospital on May 31 from shock 'ollowiarr upon injuries received through iein? knockcd down in Jervois Quay bv i motor lorry driven by Malcolm Robertion. Whether the driver was jniilty of jcgligence or of such nedteonce as might nako his employer liable, was a matter hat could be determined in other proceedngs.