Struck by Car

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 106, 21 May 1937, Page 4

Struck by Car

BODY AT R0ADSIDE Verdict In the Pakipaki Fatality "DRIVER UNKN0WN" "On tbe evidence before me it seems that the only theory possible is that this unfortunate man was struck by a passing vehicle," said the District .Coroner, .Mx. .Geo, Ebbett, J.P., this morning when conduding the inquiry iaxto the circumstances surrounding the death of Francis Wild, whose body was found lying on the roadside near Pakipaki on April 7 last. A verdict was returned that death wap the result of injuries received by the deceased having been struck by a motor vebicle, the drtver of which was unknown. "There may be other theories, but the medical evidence bears out the theory that this man was struck by a car," said Mr. Ebbett. "There is, of course, the mysterious thing that tne boqt was found 99ft. away from where the body was found. The police are satisfied that it could not have been hurled that distanc© by the impaet, and can only put forward theories. It is possible that the motorist concernec stopped and found the boiot either close at hand, or possibly tangled up with or in. the car, and threw it away. Then again, it is possible that some other motortst came along, saw the boot on the road, stopped and then just threw it away, not seeing the body nearby. However, these are just thco* ries. Frbm the evidence I have come to the conclnsion that the man was struck by a motor vehicle, and it was the injuries that he received from this collision that caused his death." Detective-Sergeant L. Revell conducted the proceedings on behalf of the police Discovery oi the Sody. "1 was cycling along the main highway between Pakipaki and HaJstings, and when about three miles south of Hastings I saw the body of a man lying on the grass on the ea'sterp. side of the roadway," said Henry William Oraeknell, labourer, residing at Pakipaki. "I also noticed a portion of a loaf of bread on the bitumen a short distance away from the body. I did not make any examination of the body, but immediately cycled on to Hastings and reported the matter to the police. It was about 6.20 o'clock in the morning when I saw the body."' Dr. Rowland Cashmore said that, with Dr. O. C. Moller, he conducted a post-mortem examination on the body, It was that of a well-nourished man between 50 and 60 years of age. The upper lip, nose and forehead were covered with blood, which had originated from the mouth and nose. There was no bleeding from the ears. There were small abrasions on the right cheek and right side of the brow. There was a cut, two inches long, at the back of the right knee which exposed the muscles. There were several small abra. sions on the calf of the right leg, and there was a large abrasion on the calf of the left leg and left ankle was dislocated. There had been haemorrhage of the brain, but the skull was not fractured. The neck had been dislocated, the head having been carried backward and about one inch to the left tside. The spinal cord was completely severed. An examination of the chest and abdomen showed no evidence of injury or disease. "Death was due to the dislocation of the neck and the eevering of the spinal cord," said the doctor. "In my opinion death was instantaueous and occurred within 24 hours of the examination." In reply to Mr Bevell, witness sadd that the dislocation of the neck could have been caused by the impact of the head with the ground. Witness agreed that the injuries were consistent with the deceased 's having been struck from behind by a motor vehicle. Police InvestigaUon. Detective-Sergeant Leo Revell, who, aecompanied by Senior-Sergeant G. Sivyer, Constable Craigie and Detective Gampin, visited the scene, described the position dn which the body was found and the locality. He said there was a straight stretch of road about a rnile long and perfectly flat with a wide bitumen surfaco. On either side, and right up to the edge of the bitumen, the road was flanked with high grass and vegetation. There was- no boot on the left foot of the body, and tho soc'k on this foot had been part]y pulled off. A kuitted cap was found 21 feet north of the body, and the iniesing boot was found on the railway track some 99 feet away. "There was a compiete ehsence of car marks, but no great significance can be attached to this, as the bitumen formation has a rough surface which probably would not show skid marks," Ue said. "From the general observations at the scene, together with the medical evidence, it would appear that Mr Wild w.as probably walking south and was struck by a motor vehicle going in the same direction." Witness added that th© police iuquiries had shown that Mr Wild left Hastings at about 6 p.m., intending to walk to Bell's whare at Pakipaki. At 6.35 o'clock Mr W. D. Brooker, cf Hastings, passed him at Longlands. The police a&certained that a Mrs McCbrmack and Eer son, driving froui Hastings to Te Hauke, passed Mr Wild near Spiers road which is just a few chains north of where his body was found. They also passed two men, Messrs A. T. Scholield and T. Clark, who were standing on the roadway a few hundred yards south of where the body was found. Mr Scholield later rode his cycle towards Hastings and did not pass Mr "Wild, so it would seem that the deceased was struck between the time Mrs McCormack and her son passed him and the time Mr Scholield left Mr Clark to come towards Hastings. Neither Mr Scholield nor Mr Clark was attraeted by anything unusual oceurring, though they were only a few hundred yards away at the time. "We also traeed other motorists who were on the road about the timo of the accident, but failed to trace any person 1 who actually witnessed it, and no per-

son conuected wxth the accident ha9 reported the matter to the police* ' said the police olficer. "Special noticea l'egardiug the matter were immediately circulated throughout the Dominion* and all members of the force were requeated te make searching investigatious at all motor garages for damaged cars or for dnformatiOn which might have * bearing on the inquiry. So far we have not been successful in tracing the mptorisfc reeponsible for the accident, but inquiries are being continixed." Witnea said that Mr Wild was a single man, 58 years of age. He was born at Invercargill and had lived all his life in New Zealand. He usually followed the occupation of a shepherd and farm labourer, and for many years had, been employed on various stations throughout the Hawke's Bay district. He was of eober habits, and the' police iinquiries definitely established that on the evening in question he was perfectly sober.