HIT BY DRAY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11128, 11 February 1930, Page 3

HIT BY DRAY

HO'dSf; BACKS DYED- BANK

KOFtIA CONTRACTORS DEATH

E'Y i.DEN'-T; AT LNQI'ES'I

Siiddeu death came upon a con-.t-ractor, Air. Ai.u-liael U er;ni - ' 1 at ivopua yesterday morning, v.lien a noise, 'harnessed to a dray in which Mi-.-, O Giamy nss Aiding, lucked over a 'tuit. bank. ■-• 1 1 le chav capsized, Mr. O'Grady jumped out and apparently was struck ,mi tuu head by the guard-iron on the right hand rail or . Live., d/ay. Heath must have neeu practically ii.fdr.u_ taneous.. Ac tJi©. tune ol Dio uc cidoiit, an attempt was being mane to lead the -horse past a standing motor lorry, but liie anunal, Irom evidence given at the--mtjim.st, was apparently collar-proud amt kept Packing away, despite the efforts, just before the dray lei!, el two men to hold it.

Mr. O’Grady was a single rnr.n, ,2 year's ’of age, and was engaged i,.tii ms nepnevv, Mr .John O tuiuiy, ~n . a contract lor the mime \vorks Department at Jvopun. tie was a weii-icnown rigure m .no district and Jus tragic ileatli will he a severe shorn to Ins many ri.nds. .vi.r Thomas O’Grady, ol ,stout street ,s; a brotner. file iifneral will jeave Haisinan’s private lu-'inary, ,v; 1 Pere street, at 2 p.m. to.day lor 'Taruhoru cemetery.

The inquest was opened at the iVliuriwai Hotel by the Coroner, Mr. j’. 1,1. Harper, N.M-, yesterday morning, (.'oustable Skinner represented the police. John O'Grady, I’uhlie Works Department’ contractor at Ivopua, stated that, about. 7.20 a.rn. yesterday, he was driving a one-horse dray along the \\ harerala access road toward the main road. When

approaching ut bend in the road a none tbreequarters of a mile irom liie. main road, be noticed it lorry, about 200 yards distant, which ..appeared to be stationary at tile time. Deceased, was m the dray at the time. Witness continued on and. when about lo yards Irom the lorry, lie got out ol the. drav, .intending to lead the horse past the lorry. Michael O’Grady 'remained in the dray, hut Michael White, who had also been in .it, got out. When witness went to the horse’s head, the animal backed a lew yards and the wheels ol the dray s ipped over the bank which is steep at this point. Witness had hold of die reins, but the horse appeared joilar proud and continued to hack, •die weight of the dray then pulling him hack. The dray rolled over sideways twice and came to rest, -JO Get down the hank, upside down. Witness and the other men went -.1 uvn the bank immediately and lifted the dray onto its side. The •kkl.v of deceased was lying underneath, the head badly crushed. Nc part of the dray was actually on deceased, hut witness noticed blood and hair on the guard irons on the rail, deceased apparently being struck by this as the dray turned over. The police were informed and arrived on the spot soon ..lifter. The horse was badly injured and had to be destroyed. "There was plenty of room to pass the lorry, continued witness, "where it had nulled up on the road. I am satisfied that- the driver of the lorry cook every precaution when he saw me approaching in the dray." David Wilkie, driver of the lorry, also employed by the Public Works Department', stated that, on seeing the , drav approaching, lie pulled Lilt 1 lorry right over to the left hand side of the road, so that the dray could p-uss easily. When the horse in the dray began to back, the engine of the lorry was running, but the animal did not apfrightened of the lorry, being evidently collar proud. Both .Jack O'Grady and Michael W Jiite caught !u> d of the horse and tried to hold t, but it then seemed to become excited and backed right over the edge of the road. The dray tipped over to the left and. as it did so. the matt ju the dray jumped out in the same direction as the dray was falling. Witness could not say whether or not the drev fed on him. Witness also corroborated the testimony of the previous witness.

Walter James (“Michael") While, an emp'mee of Jol'ti O’Grndv. <-or_ ■p bo rated the. evidence given hy his employer. Robert Wilkie. mho was riding on *he lorry, corroborated the evidence if Dav'd "Wilkie.

The inquest was adjourned in ovh1” to enahlo medical evidence to he taken.