TAITA GORGE INQUEST

Hokitika Guardian, 18 December 1928, Page 2

TAITA GORGE INQUEST

THE CORONER'S VERDICT

(By Telegraph--Press Association)

WELLINGTON. Dec. 17

The inquest on .Joseph O’Neill, killed as ;t result of a taxi going over the hank in Taita Gorge in the early hours of December Jrd lots concluded. A constable evidenced that the wheel marks showed the car went gradually close to the hank and went over. Mr O'Uegan. who appeared for deceased's wife said deceased was a highly respectable 1 man. and generally of. sober habits, hut on the ,Saturday before the accident had won LltiO in ;i double, and wished to stand bis friends a drink. The vc-rdict was that the cause of death was a fractured skull received when it taxi i*n which he was riding, and which was driven by E. \\ . Sargent. was accident idly driven over the side of the road in Taita Gorge. The Coroner commented on the intoxicated state of the two passengers, deceased and Horsfall and sa’id that ns regards the driver there was no evidence to show he was intoxicated. There was evidence, however that the driver had had some liquor. A taxi driver, continued the Coroner, is responsible for the safe conduct of his passengers whatever may be their condition and 1 think the conj duct of the titxi driver in taking liquor and in taking men of their condition into his car and taking them lot a drive and in slopping at an hotel for liquor which was ret used them and then in stopping at another hotel and obtaining and partaking of liquor, is deserving of tin* severest censure, lie is obviously unlit. I think, to hold a taxi drivers license.