SAD FATALITY.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 617, 18 March 1921, Page 5

SAD FATALITY.

SIX-YEAR-OLD SCHOOLBOY KILLED. RUN OVER BY MOTOR LORRY. ' ACCIDENT ON RAZORBACK.' A sad fatality occurred at the Razorback at twenty minutes to four o’clock on Tuesday afternoon, a six-year-old boy, William Henry I } ratt, son of Mr. W. H. O. Pratt, of Razor r back, being /run over by a motor lorry on his way home from school. He received severe injuries from which he died a few minutes afterwards.

An inquest was held by the coroner, Mr R. F. Webster, on Wednesday. The evidenec showed that the child had attempted to jump on a motor lorry proceeding from Auckland to Hamilton as it travelled down tlpe hill. He failed to do so, however, and continued to walk along the middle of the road. A second lorry suddenly came round a sharp corner of the road, being about 30ft away when the driver'saw the boy in front of him. The boy commenced to walk on one side of but then turned toward the opposite side, apparently confused, and fell about 6ft in front of the lorry. The driver applied the brakes and managed to swerve the vehicle sufficiently to avoid the child with the front wheel, but the rear wheel struck him and severely crushed his chest. The lorry was pulled up within 10ft, the child being caught under the wheel. Owing to the steep incline it was impossible to back the lorry, and to extricate the boy it was necessary to drive over him. The driver, Mr. P. W. Copeland, carried thei child to the nearest house, about 50 yards away. He was then alive, but expired shortly afterwards. The evidence showed that the second lorry was about 70 yards behind the first. Both were owned by Pullan, Armitage and Company, of Auckland, and were in charge of competent drivers. The second lorry was travelling at about six miles an hour, but owing to the nature of the road the driver had no chance of avoiding the accident. The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death, no blame being attachable to anyone. Attention was drawn to the unsatisfactory state of the road.