STEERING GEAR JAMS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 131, 19 June 1937, Page 3

STEERING GEAR JAMS

INQUEST ON EDWIN T. WHELCH

(From Our Own Correspondept.)

WAIPUKURAU, This Day. That death was due to severe injuries to the brain, caused when the car which he was driving overturning after striking a bank, was the verdict of the District Coroner, Mr W. E. Yates, who presided yesterday over the adjourned inquiry into the death of Edwin Thomas Whelch, of Lake Station, Wanstead. He met his end on June 9 last, when travelling along the Hatuma road to a dance, at Takapau, with his aunt, Mrs M. H. Dalby, as a paesenger. His car struck the bank, somersaulted and then crashed through a fence into a paddock. Mr Whelch was killed outright, but Mrs Dalby suffered only from shock and minor abraisions. When Mrs Dalby gave evidence yesterday, she said that she had attended the races at Napier on June 9 with deceased, his father and sister. Deceased had not returned to Waipukurau with the others, but came later, accompanied by his cousin, Mr C. Maller. After dinner it was decided that they would all go to a dance at Takapau that evening. Mr Miller drove Mr Whelch, senr., and Miss Whelch, to Takapau, while witness and deceased went to Lake Station for the purpose of getting a change of clothing. They left Lake Station at about 8.25 p.m. for Takapau, going by the Hatuma road. About seven miles from Lake Station the accident occurred. The car was travelling at a moderate speed. Something appeared to go wrong with the car when rounding the bend, and the next moment the car was into the bank on the right-hand side. Witness was thrown clear and remembered the car turning over; twice, she thought, as it finished up some distance away. Witness regained her feet, and the car left the road, running backwards down an incline. Witness found the driver lying in the centre of the road? The hood had been torn off the car. She then covered the driver with rugs, and not knowing where the nearest house was, she went down to the car and began sounding the horn. She then walked along the roand a short distance. After a period she saw the lights of an approaching car and then returned to the scene of the accident. Heard Tooting of Horn. Victor Knight, farmer, of Hatuma, said that on that night he had been at his home when at 8.50 p.m. his attention was drawn to the tooting of a horn coming from the Flemington side of his property. On investigating he came upon the scene of the accident and saw Whelch lying oh the road. He examiined the car. which still had its headlights on. He saw Mrs Dalby in a dazed condition. Witness then rang Dr. Raymond at Waipukurau. Dr. C. Raymond, in his evidence, attributed death to severe brain injuries caused by the crushing of the skull. Death was instantaneous. Evidence that the accident was due to the steering being jammed when the corner was being negotiated, was given by Mr G. Paton, garage proprietor, Waipukurau. Constable D. Sutton, of Waipukurau, also gave evidence of finding the deceased dead at the scene of the accident. He corroborated Paton 's evidence regarding the car's steering gear. A verdict in accordance with the doctor's evidence was returned by the district corner. In addition, Mr Yates expressed the view that the injuries occurred accidentally; the driver was unable to control the steering of the car, owing to the breaking of the eye and the consequent jamming of the right wheel, which caused the car to run into a clay bank while negotiating a bend, and subsequently overturn without the driver having any chance of negotiating the bend.