CHILDREN KILLED BY CAR

Evening Star, Issue 19782, 4 February 1928, Page 2

CHILDREN KILLED BY CAR

A DISTRESSiUG FATALITY [Pek Uwitbh Pbess Association.] GISBORNE, February o. An inquest was held to-day concerning the death of Edna Third, aged eight years, and Fay Third, aged five years, who were knocked down by a car nlinc crossing the road to reach the Awapum School on Wednesday. The elder gnl was killed instantly, and the younger died in hospital this morning, iiic children were standing on the footpath as a rubbish dray came along. When it had passed they stepped out behind, and ran across the road, being knocked down by a car which was proceeding in the opposite direction. The evidence of the driver of the car, a Maori named Tom Dennis, was that on turning into the road from the country he slackened down to twentytwo miles an hour, but on nearing the school he slowed down still further to about fifteen miles. On seeing the dray approaching he sounded his horn and swerved slightly to the left to pass the dray. When he was about eight yards from the dray two children, hand in hand, commenced to run across the road to the school ground. About halfway across they hesitated, and then ran on. Witness jammed all the brakes on bard, and slewed his wheel to the left, running on to the grass by the roadside, which the children had then reached. The children were struck by the left front of the door and knocked down. Martin Henry Petersen said he was working within two chains of the scene of the accident. In his opinion the speed of the car was reasonable. He confirmed the driver’s statement in regard to tooting the horn and swerving, stating that in his opinion the car could not have missed the children. . The Coroner (Mr E. C. Levvy, S.M.) said he would decline to comment on th’e speed of the car or as to the driver’s method of progression. He returned a verdict that the death of the elder girl was due to serious injuries to the head and skull, and that the death of the younger girl was due to injuries, both occurring through the deceased being struck by a car driven by T. Dennis.