THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE RICCARTON ROAD.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1280, 26 April 1878, Page 3

THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE RICCARTON ROAD.

The following is the concluding p irtmn or the report of the inquest on the body of Matthew Kinsman : Elizih-th Kinsman, wife of James Kinsman, warder at the asylum, stated that her husband was brother of the deceased. Witness was in rho asylum waggon on the afternoon of the accident. It was driven by her husband. They were coming from the races to the Eiccarton Hotel. .They hud turned off the hiccarton road, and were returning to it again by a lane. As they got out of the lane the coach was coming too fast for them to get out, of the way, and it ran into them. Witness was sitting at the back facing the horse. There was’nt room for them to pass, and as the coach was corning too fa r -t they had not time to get out of the way. They were on the right, side of the road, and her husband tried to puli up, but, could not, as there was a cab or some sort of vehicle in the way. The coach was on one side of them and this vehicle on the other. The coach ran on the path to avoid their trap, and knocked the deceased down. Witness saw one of the wheels go over him. When they got out of the lane the coach was near but a little behind thorn. The other vehicle had not passed the lane before they got, on to the road. The coach and cab were close together, and the horse in the latter was close behind their trap. They could not have pulled closer to the footpath than they did. Witness was confused and very frightened at the time. They were going at an easy trot. There were three of the patients in the trap besides witness, her husband, and a little boy. Witness coidd not remember whether she said anything to her husband after the accident, and scarcely knew what she did say, as she was so frightened at (he time. James Kinsman, nft/r being duly cautioned by the coroner, was sworn, and stated (hat ho was a warder in the asylum and brother of the deceased. Ho was driving a waggon belonging to (he asylum on the afternoon of 23rd instant. They had been to the races. Witness, his wife, Mr Soager’s lidle boy and three of the patients were in the wasrg'on. They drove up Frost’s lane, off the Eiccarton road, and afterwards returned again by it to the road. Witness turned back on to the road to pick up his brother’s wife, and just as they came out, of the lane witness saw the coach coming behind, and had to keep a little on the right hand side as there were so many traps coming down that there was no room to get straight on to the road. This was only for a few yards. There was a trap coming immediately behind, and some one in the waggon called out to him to hold in. Witness pulled in to his left as far as he could, as he saw the horses in the coach coming on to his right, and he tried to straighten his horse down the road, but had to look out that nothing came up to him on his left side. The horses in the coach were passing him then, the driver of which had to pull his horses on to the path. His brother was walking along on the path. Witness sang out to him to look out for the horses. He turned his head round, when the swingle tree of the leading horses caught him and knocked him down. After the coach had passed -witness saw him lying on the ground insensible. By Inspector Hickson—Witness had had a drink or two, but was not tight, or anything out of the way. By a Juror—Witness was in the habit of often driving the horse which was in the trap. Witness went down the lane for about twenty or thirty yards. There were gorse hedges on (he lane. Witness went down the road to pick up his brother’s wife. He tried to pull on to his right side as quickly as he could. By Inspector Hickson —My brother was not sober. I cannot account for his not being able to get out of the way when I called to him unless something must have hooked him. Had I not called and stopped him I believe he would have gone on straight and cleared the horses. Inspector Hickson told the jury that Dalwood was present. The jury, however, did not think there was any necessity fo? his being examined. The Coroner told the jury that that was all the evidence, and it would be for them to consider whether any culpable negligence was attached to the driver of the omnibus. After consulting his brother jurors, the foreman said it was an accident, and no blame could be attached to Dalwood. A verdict of “Accidental Death” was then recorded.