MOTOR ACCIDENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2124, 6 May 1920, Page 3

MOTOR ACCIDENT.

RANGIOTU- RESIDENT KILLED. A fatal motor accident occurred at Rangiotu shortly after one o’clock on Tuesday afternoon, when Albert Hamilton Rankin, blacksmith, of Rangiotu, was run over and killed by a motor ear, driven by Mr William Ross, of Foxton. The deceased, who had resided in the.district tor a number of years, was 39 years of age, and leaves a widow and two children.

THE INQUEST. . An inquest was held at Rangiotu yesterday morning, before Mr A. Fraser, district coroner. Mr J. P. Innes watched the proceedings on behalf of Mr W. Ross. The following evidence was taken: . Thomas Shiite said he was a bootmaker, residing at Rangiotu. On Tuesday, May 4th, he went to the blacksmith's shop at about 11.30 a.m. He took a bottle of whisky with him. When he arrived the de'eeased (Rankin), Billie Doreen and Boh Jeffries, were (here. The bottle of whisky was not opened in the shop. He remained at the shop for about three-quarters of an hour, and he (hen returned to his cottage, being accompanied by deceased and Doreen. On arrival there they opened the bottle of whisky, and drank some. They were at, the cottage drinking for about an hour, and then deceased left. He went away alone, and was perfectly sober, he having only had about three drinks. Deceased had no whisky on him when he left the cottage. If witness previously told the police that he had half a bottle of whisky when he left he told a lie. Deceased was perfecllv sober when he left the coi-

lage. In reply to questions, witness said that lie had only been on the drink for two (lays. He was in Palmerston North on Monday, returning home an Monday night, and he had brought with him six bat ties of whisky and four bottles of beer. The day of the accident was the lii’st time deceased laid' been drinking with them.

-Diehard Daley, roadman, employed by the Manawatu County Council, .•Dated that on the day of the accident he was working on the road opposite the Hangiotu railway station. At about a quarter to twelve he saw deceased, Shute and Doreen going along the road from Ihe direction of I lie blacksmith’s shop towards .Shale's cottage. Shale and Doreen were under the influence of liquor, hut deceased was not so had. About an hour later he saw deceased returning along I lie road coming towards Hangiotu. ’Witness did not take particular notice of him. He saw .Mr Ross pass in the car going towards Po.xton. He didn't consider the car was travelling' at a fast pace. He was not a good judge, Imt would consider it was travelling between seventeen and twenty miles per •hour. He did. not actually see. the

accident, hill M ils present when deceased was picked up immediately aftcrwards. His head was in the centre of the wad, wit'll ills body .aid legs lying towards (he left side of tiie road going towards Fo.xton, Witness considered that K’oss gave deceased ample room to pass. Deceased was practically dead when he was picked up. expiring about four minutes later. He identified the body as that of Albert Hamilton Rankin, whom he had known for about lift eon years. Deceased was a good hard-working man. Witness knew deceased tool: liquor, hut lie was not always at it.

Vincent McDowell, baker’s contractor, residing at Foxtoii, staled ho was at Rangioln at about a quarter to twelve on May 4th, with his bread delivery van. Ho pulled up apposite the .station to mend a puncture. Whilst he was there deceased and two other men, whom he did not then know, but one of whom lie now knew to he Slmte, came along the road. The men came around witness’ ear, and Slmte commenced meddling about with it, and deceased told (he men to come away. They went up (lie road in the direction of Foxtoii. Witness was still there about an hour and a quarter later, when he saw deceased coming back. He was staggering over the road. Witness saw Mr Ross drive his car past, going in the direction of Foxton. After the car passed witness noticed that decease cd was still staggering along on hif wrong’ side of the road. Air Ross pulled off on to his correct side, hut deceased still continued to stagger towards the car. Ross then pulled off on to the right-hand side of the road to try and avoid the man, but deceased staggered towards the ear and-got run over. Air Ross was travelling at about twenty miles an hour when he passed witness. To Air limes: Witness was about a elm in away from the scene of the accident when it occurred. Air Ross .approached witness at about 20 miles per hour, but when he saw the man on the road he slowed down-to about fifteen miles per hour, and continued at that-pace until the collision occurred. There was no other traffic on the road at the time. The pace Ross was travelling at was a reasonable one. The car was pulled up about a chain from the' collision. Prior to' the accident Air Ross was on his correct side of the road, and deceased was approaching him on his (deceased’s) wrong side, and continued until fairly close to the car. Ross, in order to avoid the deceased, turned quickly to the right, and the deceased then appeared to make a grab at the mudguard, and the impact took place. In witness’ opinion, under the circumstances Mr Ross, in order to avoid the ticcident, did quite right in taking to the

wrong side of the road. Had lie not, done so the accident would have occurred just the same. To the Coroner: Witness had been driving a car for about eight months. William Ross, flaxmiller, Foxton? stated that on May 4th he was returning home from Palmerston North in his car, passing through Eangiotn at about a quarter past one. He was accompanied by his son and daughter. Passing the Kan-, gioln railway station he was traW hour. He then noticed a man on the road coming towards witness. M itel ling somewhere about 20 miles per ness pulled on to his correct side of the road, but the man then moved' further on to his (deceased’s) wrong side, and continued in a direction to meet the car. Immediately witness saw there was likely to be an accident he pulled off on to his wrong side to try and avoid it, as there was no further room on the correct side, where there was a ditch. Immediately witness crossed to the other side of the road the man made a lurch towards the ear, and threw up his hands as if to get hold of it, and the left-hand side.of the radiator struck him. Deceased fell first on to the bonnet of the ear, and then backwards. The wheels of the ear must have passed oven him. Witness pulled his car up about half a chain from the accident, and returning found deceased on the ground. He at once communicated with the police, and'waited at Rangiolu until they arrived. To Mr limes: He had had ten years’ experience in driving ears. His sight and hearing were both

piod. To Mr Rankin (brother of deceased) : This was the only serious accident lie laid ever laid. Had only laid one oilier accidentduring the past twelve months, and that was on the same day. Witness .-lowed up and applied the brakes before the present . accident happened.

(bun table Woods staled that shortly after one o’clock on Tuesday he received a telephone message at Pahnei’slan North, when! he had gone in connection with the Moya! visit, I iml a man, had been run over and killed at Dangiota. He at once proceeded there, arriving a little after 2 o’clock. He found the body of deceased in the railway goods shed, and identilied it as that of Albert Hamilton Rankin. He searched the body, and amongst other things found a broken whisky bottle in thoinside breast pocket of the <oal. "Witness made inquiries at Shiite’s cottage, where ho found that deceased, Shale and Doreen had been drinikng. There were four empty beef bottles, one full bottle, of whisky, amf one empty whisky bottle on the table. Witness removed deceased’s body to his residence. This concluded Ihe evidence, and the Coroner returned the following verdict: Thai Albert Hamilton Rankin came to his death at Rangiolu on May 4th, through being run over by a motor car, accidentally, and not otherwise.