SANDON ROAD COLLISION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4461, 5 June 1930, Page 2

SANDON ROAD COLLISION.

INQUIRY i nMCIYIIPI). The impiest into the circumstances surrounding the dealh of Emil lirandeis, garage proprietor, of Wellington, following a collision on the Foxioii-Sandon road on April 7, was concluded at Palmerston N. yesterday before Mr. A. .1. Graham, Coroner.

George Frederick Woods, farm labourer, of Foxlon, slated that lie was a passenger, sitting on the back of the sidecar, His sister was in the sidecar and P.randeis was driving the motor cycle. The collision occurred on the Foxlon side of the Mnkuwhui dairy factory, at the foot of the Carnarvon hill. There was a mound in Ihe road and a slight twist, and lie was of opinion Ilia! this mound had obscured the lights of each vehicle from ihe oilier. The tirsf he saw of the approaching service car lights was when' Ihe ear was about live yards from them.. Then everything happened in a Hash. The speed of the motorcycle was between 20 and 25 miles an hour, Brandeis having slowed down at idle reipiost of witness's sister, who was nervous. The motor cycle was a four-cylinder Henderson and a powerful machine. • Ins! after leaving Wanganui they had travelled at from 30 to 4.0 miles an hour, but il was then day light.. To the 'Coroner, witness said there was less likelihood of the motor cycle and sidecar skidding than the car, owing to the shorter wheelbase. The Coroner: How do you aei oiml for the accident'?

Witness: The only thing 1 can think of is (hat the mound obscured the lights and the car cut in -lightly. The Coroner: Was there any necessity for (lint ■! —No, Imt it is often done. Willy • —To save a turn of the u heel. The Curouer: Is Iha I good practice or bad?—-Bad practice. To -Mr. L. Cohen (Wanganui), who appeared for the car driver, witness recalled the mounds of gravel running down the road, but still maini.tined that the machine Brandcis owned would not- skid or wobble. lie look no measurements at I he spot.

The Coroner, in returning a verdict of death from shock, associated wit h interim I haemorrhage, commented that neither driver could be blamed for the accident. The possibilities were that the motor cycle had skidded in Ihe loose me- - The damage to the car would almost indicate that that had happened. There was no evidence to show that the driver of the ear had not t a ken all precautions.

The formal verdict died from head injuries accidentally received on .May 1!) was returned by the Coroner, Mr. A- -I. Graham, ttl an in c|uesl held in Palmerston N. yesterday into the circumstances associated with the death of William Stafford Anderson, aged 38, an engineer, of Canada, who was killed when the ear he was driving failed lo take the turning at the Taomii railway crossing near Bedding.