SANDON MOTOR COLLISION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 215, 9 June 1920, Page 8

SANDON MOTOR COLLISION

INQUEST ON THREE VICTIMS

CORONER RETURNS AN OPEN VERDICT

By Tolegraph-Speolal Correspondent. Palmerston North, Juno 8. The' inquest on' the victims of the Sandon motor fatality was resumed at Iralmerston North this morning, beforo Sir. E. Goodbehere (Coroner). Mr. Graham appeared for the relatives of the deceased Eglington, and Mr. Ongley watched proceedings on behalf of tho P.ihnersfon North Taxi Owners' Assoeiat,on~ . Thomas Killich, taxi-owner, 6aid that on returning to Palmerston from tho Wanganui races in his car ho came on Iho scene of the accident a few minutes after it happened. Thero wore three other vms there when he arrived. The two wrecked cars were obliquely across tho road, ' Eclington's being on its right side. He examined the light switches, which, were all off. He did not think it possible for the impact to have interfered with the switches. It might be possible that Mr. Ellington had put out his headlights when ho was dimming them. The headlights_ of an approaching car might make it impossible for Eglington to know whether liis own lishts woro in or off. -In reply to the Coroner, witness said it was not likely that ft man who hod been, driving tho same car for years would make such a mistake with his switches. If the lights inside the car wero hnrning it would indicate that tho headlights were still on. If tho driver of tho Approaching car had been on tho look-out he B-hbuld have seen the other car coming even if it had no lights. To Mr. Graham: It was quite possible for tho switches to have been interfered with before he'arrived cm the scene, as there were several people examining the cars. Faircloth examined the switches with him, and if he said he did not examine the switches he was not speaking the truth. He did not know it Faircloth was a friend of Newth's oi whether he had any interest in tho business. If each car had been _on its right side it would have been impossi' ble for the cars to bo in the .position in which they were found. James Muir, taxi driver, deposed that on the day of tho accident he was returning from the Wanganui races with passengers. His was about the second or third car to arrive on the scene of the accident. He examined tho switches in Eglington's car. The ignition switch •was on, but the light switches were off. 'Ho did not interfere With the switches, but looked at them because somebody had told him the car had no lights. E. W. Watt, foreman motor mechanic in the employ of Messrs. Bett and Bayly, said that no impact, however severe, would have any effect on the switches on the car, but it was quite possible that one of the passengers was thrown against tho d/shboard in which tho switches were arranged, and they could have been pushed in in-that manner. Constable Wilson, stationed at Bulla, said he reached the scone of the accident about 7.25 p.m. Eglington's car was nearest to Sandon, with the back touching the grass and the near front wheel on the crown of the road. Newth's car was about 15 feet along the road, nearer to Palmerston North, with tho front of the car on the grass on the left-hand Side going towards Sanson, and the back wheels on the crown of the road. Both cars were badly damaged, but Newth's appeared to have suffered the worst. On account of danger to traffio he had the cars moved that night. Having heard Tumour 9 that Eglington's car had no lights he requested a taxi driver named Sharp, who had brought him" to the scene, to examino the' switches of the car, and he 6nid-they were off. To the Coroner: Complaints were constantly made, more especially on race days, of the danger to traffic through the fast driving of cars along that particular stretch of road. He know the late Mr. Eglington as a most careful' .driver. He could not imagine him taking the risk of driving a car on such n dark night without lights. ■ State of tho Switches. ,-■ Mrs.'A'Court, who had given evidence on the previous day, was recalled. She stated that at the time of the accident the little dash light was burning. Just after,the accident, when she was standing by the car, a man came to the other side of the car and asked- her if she would turn the lights on. She .replied that she could not do so. The man appeared very excited and commenced to argue with her husband.. Just afterwards some person got on the footboard of the car and touched the switches and said they would not'work. When the accident happened she was in the front seat of Eglington's car, and was thrown against the dashboard and back on to the seat. She was sure,that Mr. Eglington had just dimmed his lights beforo tho accident. — A'Court was also recalled.' He gave evidence that Faircloth was the man who-spoke about tho switches after tho accident. Faircloth. did not touch the switches, but some other man came along and pulled all the. switches in end out. - To Mr. Ongley: Faircloth seamed to bo looking for . evidence „ about tho switches as soon as he came to his senses. To Mr. Graham: Witness and Mrs. A'Court were looking after Eglington when Jilaircloth camo up to tho car. AValter W. Andrews, motor expert, of Fcilding, stated. that on the morning after the collision he towed Mr. Eglington's car to Feilding. The battery bos,- had been smashed off by the impact. He secured another battery to which Qho attached the existing wires, and found that the lamps and bulbs were intact. Both headlights and dimmers wero good lights. _ The Coroner asked if witness thought it was possiblo for a man not to see Eglington's ear even if it had no lights. Witness replied that he considered that in any ea«o a careful driver should have seen Eglington's car. The Coroner: Can you account for anybody not seeing on object like that? ■ Witness: No, I cannot. Coroner Announces Finding. The Coroner 6aid it was his duty to consider the evidence given at the inquiry as to tho cause of the deaths of tho three persons mentioned, and it was also his duty to decide on the evidence available what blame was attachable to any person concerned. In the first place ho eomiplime|ated the police en the full evidence they had managed to collect, stating that they had apparently obtained all the evidence available. It was a most lamentable afl'nir, and if there had been any carelessness or recklessness on the part of any individual it was quite right that he should suffer the consequence. Tho evidence in the case was very difficult , indeed. That given by the surviving persons who were in Eglinston's car and by Eglington. junior, was emphatic that the lights were burning in Eglington's car and that it was on the correct side of the road, while tho evidenco of |ive_ persons in Newth's oar ' was that Eglington's car had no light, and some of thorn stated that it was on the wrong eido of the road. It seemed a miraculous thing that one car should bo coming along and crash into another car, oven if it had no lights, and that the first thing to bo known was the crash itself. It Beemed to him that an experienced driver looking out could not fail to sco another cor at least a Tow yards before he reached it. ' Tho evidence given regarding tho position of Eglington's oar strongly pointed to it being on tfhe correct side of the road. Mr. Mitchell, who was a disinterested witness and whoso car was tho first on the scene, 6aid that this was so. The Coroner found that Eglinton's car .was on its rigtht side, and that un to n minute before thoorash occurred Eglington's car had its lights burning, if. to the 6peod at which the cars were travelling, it was difficult to come to a conclusion on that point as the evidence varied very much, but ho could assifmo that Bglinjiton's car could not havo got up much paco, as it had been at a standstill three hundred yards away. Tlhe other car was travelling nt a speed of 26 miles an hour, and probably more. Tb"«ro was no ofchor evidence of spaed exoept tbo'ttme token in travelling from

the racecourse, but that was not reliable, ns tihey could not tell exactly what time the car left. Wanganui or what time it stopped at Turakina. ■ He did not think the pace could have been more than 27 to 30 miles an hour right throughout tho Journey. Ho did not considor that 30 miles an hour, |or even a_littlo over, was excessivo in that particular place. There was nothing to show what the pace was except that given by those in Newth's car, and they were agreed that it was from T5 to 30 miles. He (the coroner) did think that there was failure on the part of tho driver of Newth's car to keep a proper lookout, as it was quite clear to his mind' that Eglington's car lights were lit when he left his gnte. If. the other driver had taken ordinary care ho must hnvo seen the lights-, and have been prepared. Therefore he found that there was some negligence shown on tho part of Newth in foiling to keep a proper lookout. Under the circumstances all there was for him, as Coroner, to do was to brins in mi open verdict, that the deceased died from injuries sustained' in a motor collision at Sanson on May 29. The Coroner then gave a formal verdict to that effect. • :' Comments on Reckless Driving, The Coroner added that (ho would l'ko to remark on tho reckless driving which undoubtedly was done throughout ihe country and which caused tho accidents they read about so often. To his mind these accidents wore tho result of recklessness or carelessness. It was, very necessary that some action should betoken to prevent Tookless driving, for if men all drove 6lowly and carefully there woutd bo no accidents. If tho authorities took action, these painful accidents that they wore so constantly hearing of would bo at least minimised.