CORONIAL INQUIRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 119, 22 April 1925, Page 5

CORONIAL INQUIRY

MOTOR CYCLE ACCIDENT, STRICTURE ON PILLION RIDING, An inquest was held at/ the Courthouse this morning by Air A. j. Graham, J.P., Coroner, into tho circumstances surrounding the death on April 6 of a young man named Leslie William Redshaw who was fa’tally injured in a motor cycle accident on the previous day. At the time deceased was travelling from Palmerston North towards Ashhurst along James’s Line with a passenger on the carrier. Senior-Sergeant O’Grady represented the police. Henry Redshaw, railway surfaceman at Rangiotu, gave formal evidence of the identification of the body of the deceased, his brother, who was a single man aged 2(5. So far as witness knew deceased was in good health up to tho time of his death and was an experienced motor cycle rider.

M. C. McKay, a labourer residing in tho Ashhurst district, deposed that, on April 4, ho came into Palmerston North with deceased on the back of a motor cycle driven by the latter. They arrived at Palmerston North about 7.45 p.m. and arranged to meet ■'again at the Empire Hall at 11.30. In the interim witness went to a dance, but deceased did not arrive until 1.30 a.m. The pair then set out on the machine on the return journey. Witness could remember passing the gas works on Napier road but did not know the next road they turned into as he was not familiar with that route. They crossed tho railway line and lie could remember nothing further, neither did lie feel anything. To the Coroner: I have no recollection of being thrown off the machine.

Witness added: “The next thing I remembered was waking up in hospital next afternoon.” In reply to tho senior-sergeant, witness said that the machine was not travelling very fast, and he saw nothing likely to eauso an accident. He did not possess a machine of his own but had been out once before with deceased.

Questioned by the coroner, he said that tho night was not very dark and that the motor cycle had a good light. Both were perfectly sober. Witness had no personal experience of motor cycle riding. He was holding on to the carrier with his hands for support. The coroner said that that did not seem to be a very safe method of pillion riding. Witness added that he would consider 30 miles an hour a fast speed, but deceased would not be travelling at more than 20 miles an hour.

Medical evidence was given by Dr. Barnett, who stated that he had been summoned to the scene of the accident on James’s Line where he found the two men lying on the roadside. Both were unconscious, deceased being far the more seriously injured—-in fact his case was hopeless. Both wero sent tq hospital in the ambulance. Deceased had a fracture of tho base of the skull, never regained consciousness and died from the effects of the injury described. It appeared from the scene of the accident that the machine had skidded and struck a power post. Richard Reichenbach, electrician, stated in evidence that, on hearing the crash, which occurred near his residence, he investigated and found two men lying near a motor cycle. Both were unconscious, deceased being on his knees with his head on tho ground. First aid was rendered and medical assistance procured. On the road there was a hole scooped out about six yards in front of a pole, and nearby was the motor cycle. There was no loose metal on the road, but witness thought that the machine had skidded and struck the pole. The Coroner commented that pillion riding was not allowed in the Palmerston North borough. The senior-sergeant said that it was prohibited also in Christchurch and other boroughs, but was permitted- in Wellington and Wanganui. Tlie coroner returned a verdict that deceased died on the date, named from a fracture of the base of the skull caused by accidentally colliding with a power transmission pole while riding a motor cycle with a passenger on the carrier. He commented that in his opinion pillion riding was a dangerous practice, though lie was aware that there was a diversity of opinion on the point. The occurrence was purely accidental and there was no evidence to show that there were any stock on the road at the time. Deceased’s brother rose to mention a point about the situation of the polo on the roadside and some wires attached thereto, but the coroner said that he could not hear any more evidence.