THE HAPPY VALLEY FATALITY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 108, 31 January 1921, Page 7

THE HAPPY VALLEY FATALITY

FEFROL TANK EXPLOSION VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH An inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. F. Hulse, following a motor-car fatality on the Happy Valley Road on Wednesday afternoon, was held on Saturday morning before Mr.’W. G. Riddell, S.M. The body of Mr. Hulse had been found lying near the motor-car under circumstances that suggested an explosion of tho petrol tank had taken place. Andrew Robertson, station owner, of Happy Valley, said he had found the body lying near tho motor-car while he was walking along the road at 1 p-m. on Wednesday. Hu noticed that the petrol tank of the car was badly damaged, and that the deceased bore terrible injuries to his face and head. After communicating with a neighbour, witness found a wooden match lying on the ground near the scene of tho fatality, partly burned. Witries said he was certain deceased had been peering over the tank with a lighted match in his hand, as the cap was unscrewed. Evidently Mr. Hulso had wished to see how much petrol was left in the tank, as the fact of the bonnet being open indicated that something had gone wrong with the engine. In the opinion of the witness, fumes rising from the petrol tank would certainly have caused the explosion. "From what I saw of the petrol in the tank, he said, "conditions must have been just right for an explosive mixture.” Evidence as to hearing tho explosion was given by Ernest Beavis, of Happy Valley, dairy farmer. Witness said when he heard the report he thought someone was shooting. z His house was about three hundred yards distant from the scone of the explosion. On Air. Robertson tolling him what had happened witness sent his son to communicate with the police. Richard Hulse, brother of the deceased, said his brother was ‘4B years of age. Tho deceased had been driving a motor for two months prior to the accident, and was a careful driver. Ho was, in addition, a non-smoker and a total abstainer. "It is remarkable that he had any matches with him,” added the witness. Witness considered that there might have been trouble with the vacuum feed of the motor-car, and that deceased might have examined the petrol to nk on that score. Constable Dick, wlio brought the body to the morgue, saidi ha had found p- box of wax matches in deceased’s clothing. Two burnt wooden matches had been found underneath the petrol tank, oi which bofii ends had been blown away. ' After reviewing the evidence, the Coroner gave a verdict that the deceased had been accidentally killed through an explosion which occurred when he had exainincd tho petrol tank of his motor-car. Mr Riddell emphasised that deceased was not a driver of experience, and did not know as much about a motor-car or about what should be done in cases of emergency ns persons of greater experience.