YOUNG MAN’S DEATH

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 154, 25 March 1939, Page 5

YOUNG MAN’S DEATH

Inquest Into Western Hutt Accident CONFLICT IN EVIDENCE Au inquest into the accident on the Western Dutt Road on March 5 when John Marlin Songster, bank clerk, aged 21, was killed, was conducted before -Ur. E. Gilbertson, J.P., coroner, yesterday. The verdict was that death was caused by injuries received when the car Songster was driving overturned. A conflict of evidence was remarked on by the coroner. Sergeant J. W. McHohn conducted the inquest. Mr. W. E. Leicester appeared lor Songster’s relatives and Mr. \V. P. Shortland lor the driver of the other car involved in the accident. Lloyd Staiimore Jenkins, civil servant, •mid he was leaching his cousin Sangster to drive. When they were rounding a left-mind bend travelling northward on the Western Hutt Hoad, a mile and a half north of Belmont station, witness saw a car drawn across the road in such a position that, at a glance, there seemed to be no space to go round it. It continued to back, so that hi,-,- cousin had no choice but to go straight ahead. In doing so his cousin had to avoid a lamp post then on hi,,- left, and he went Straight over the bank. As the car reached tue bottom of the bank it nit an angle-post which turned it over, and both were under the car when it stopped. The cause of the accident was the manoeuvring of a car in a place out of sight of an approaching motorist. It was a very dangerous place in which to . turn a car, specially when there was a filling on which it could have been turned. A licensed driver could not have avoided the accident.

Ur. E. W. Giesen. who raw Sanger shortly after Ihe accident, described bis condition and injuries. Siegfried Eichelbaum, company manager, said he was on his way from Wellington to -visit Ur. Giesen, whose house is approached from the Western Hutt Road, with bis wile, two of his children and an overseas visitor. Not having been to Ur. Giesen's for some time he passed the entrance to Ur. Giesen’s drive. He backed and drove part of the way into the drive, the sharpnce-s of the. corner preventing his going further. Three or four feet of big car protruded on the road. Before attempting to back on to the road again he waited for another car to pttsu. Out. vl a side window he saw it flash into view and out of the rear window he saw it turn a somersault. His car was stopped on the side of the road that would be used by the other car. A.-,- coon as the other car went over the bank he alighted to give assistance.

The wile of the previous witness said she and another passenger were looking out of the rear of the car to ltd! her husband when the road was clear so that he could back and saw Jenkins's car approach very last and leave the road without slackening speed. It had ample room to pass.

Cecilia Nnomi' Staveley, who was sitting in a stationary motor-van near where tlie accident happened, said t-’he tinst saw Jenkins's car 200 yards away travelling at « moderate speed. Alter it came round the bend Eiehelbaum's car backed across the road and Jenkins's car had not space to puss. Neither did die think it had room to estop, but it had almost stopped when it came to the edge of the tilling on the side of the bitumen on to which it had been forced to run. Eiehellintini'n car moved forward before its occupants got out and before a constable marked its position.