FATAL COLLISION

Hokitika Guardian, 15 December 1920, Page 3

FATAL COLLISION

I CAR DRIVER. EXONERATED. I MASTERTON, Dye. 11 ! The inquest touching the death of John Kennedy Cooper, who was killed l in a collision in Higli Street on Tbursj day evening, was held to-day, before [ .Mr E. G. Eton, district coroner. Roger Edward Fairfux Cholmeley, inspector for the Public Trust, said I that lie left Masterton shortly after 5 o’clock on December 9th, going towards Carterton. He was the sole occupant of his motor-car, and lie was travelling along the road at between twenty and twenty-five miles an hour, i Near some bluegum trees lie could see. ,i man coniing on a bicycle nearly half I a mile away. The cyclist was oil his wrong sicle of the road, but he came ■ along steadily In the same line all the way. Witness was travelling in his car on his proper side of the road, j When the cyclist was about thirty i yards from him witness moved slightly to the right, not more than a foot, so as to give him more room if lie wished to continue the way he was going. I Witness also steadied his car. but when about seventeen yards or less away the deceased endeavoured to cross in front

of the car to get on to his proper sidi of the road. Deceased, in crossing appeared to hesitate, and rail straight into Gie ear.'Witness, upon seeing that an accident was inevitable, immediately cut off the benzine and put on , his footbrake, hut the car hit deceased and bicycle before witness could stop, and upon getting out lie found deceased lying under the centre of the car. The ear could not have - gone more • than three feet after striking the deceased. If the deceased had continued on his wrong sicle he would have had ainple room—nine paces—to get through. Constable Phillips, who visited the scene of the accident, said that when lie arrived Cholineley’s car was standing nine paces from the fence on his correct side of the road, and fourteen paces from the other fence. Seventeen paces back from behind Cliohneley’s car the tracks showed that the wheels had skidded, as if brakes had been .applied. From tlie position ofTlie car it was clear that the deceased had ample room to pass on either side of the ear. THE VERDICT. Having heard further evidence, the coroner returned a verdict that deceased met liis death through injuries received in an accidental collision with a motor-ear driven by Roger Edward Fairfax Cholmeley. The coroner remarked that it was quite plain that the driver of the car had taken every care to avoid the collision, hut the unfortunate cyclist had by some means made an error of judgment, and the collision occurred.