ROMAN'S DEATH

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 41, 18 February 1930, Page 13

ROMAN'S DEATH

STRUCK BY TRAMCAR

jIOTOBMAN BIiAMELESS

When attempting to cross the street at the <K>raer of Adelaide road and Douglas street about 8 p.m. on Bth February, Mrs. Mabel May Fleming, aged 48, «h knocked down by a citybound tramcar and suffered injuries and shock, from which ska died at the Wellington Hospital on 19th February. !a formal verdict to this effect was returned by th« Coroner (Mr. T. B. IM' Neil, BM.) at an inqnest on the a* eeaaedl to-day. "I think I should add," said the Coroner, "that, In my opinion, the evidence shows that no blame was attachable tg th« motorman of the fcr&mear." Evidence w» giTen th»tth« deceased had taken some liquor before the accident. A doctor at the Hospital in whose caw Mrs. Fleming was placed, said that when tht deceased was admitted sh» smelt strongly of ■J«oh? L « was also stated thai Mm. Fleming admitted having taken seme bee*. A telegraph messenger boy said that wbsn be was riding a bleyele along Adelaide road towards Newtown his attention was attracted to a tramear travelling in the opposite direction, by the sounding of the gong. He then noticed a woman about 20ft ahead of the ear, crossing the road. When the gong sounded tie woman attempted to ran across in front of the ear, but when she was practically over the tramlines she was etruek by the front portion of the tram and was thrown some distance across the street. He thought the motorman applied bis brakes before striking the deceased. Passengers in the tranuar said they heard the gong sounded before the woman was struck. The motorman, John Eobert Pennau, said the ear was travelling at about 20 miles an hour. He first saw the deceased when the ear was opposite the petrol station at the coiner of Douglas street. She was walking across the road, and he sounded the gong. The deceased hesitated. He eased the ear ■lightly on the air brake, bat Mrs. Fleming then ran across the road in front of the ear. Ha immediately applied the emergency brake, bnt the right-hand front cornel of the ear struck the deceased. In answer to a question from Mr. Fleming, witness said he o« Id not ■wearto the actual distance In which the ear stopped after striking Mrs. Fkpnlng. He could swear, however, that the deceased hesitated. The conductor on the ear, William Henry Edmoads, also said that he saw I the deceased hesitate aa if she intended to stop to let the ear past. ! In giving bis finding, Mr. M'Neil said he had no doubt from the evidence that at the time the deceased was crossing the road her faculties were affected by alcohoL He was also satisfied thai Mrs. Fleming hesitated, and then went forward, with the result that she was knocked down.