TUBE ACCIDENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 124, 29 April 1925, Page 4

TUBE ACCIDENT

MOTOR CAR FATALITY, YOUNG MAN’S DEATH. An inquest was conducted this morning at the Courthouse by the Coroner, Mr A. J. Graham, J.P., into the circumstances surrounding the death of Clive Tweeddalo, a single man, aged 22, who died at the Palmerston North hospital on the night of April 27 shortly after being struck by a motor car in Main street west near the railway station.

Senior-Sergeant O’Grady represented the police. James Joseph Cunneen, a railway shunter, gave formal evidence of identification of the body of deceased, who was witness’s brother-in-law. He last saw deceased alive about 7.30 p.m. on April 27. Deceased was then at witness’s house and was in good health and spirits and quite sober. He was rather deaf and tlmt affliction was growing worse. In fact conversation with deceased was rather difficult on account of his deafness. Deceased had arrived in Palmerston North, on April 24 and was merely on a visit here.

To the Coroner: Deceased would not hear the tooting of a motor horn unless it was very close to him. Mr I). S. Wylie, medical practitioner, said that, on April 27, ho had engaged a taxi to take him to Rangiotu and back. It was his custom to engage a taxi when he had been working very long hours. Ho was asleep in the car whe/i it struck deceased and was awakened by the jolt. He then heard the- driver’s exclamation tbathe had run over a man. The vehicle was pulled up quickly and it could not have been travelling at more than 15 or 20 miles an hour. As soon as the car stopped the driver and witness went to where de ceased was lying in the middle of the road unconscious and bleeding profusely from the mouth. His condition was indicative of serious injury to hi 9 chest. It was realised that it would lie impossible to take deceased to' the hospital in the car without doing him. further harm. The ambulance was sent for while witness stayed by deceased and made him as comfortable as possible. Soon after deceased was conveyed to the hospital in the ambulance. Witness regarded Mr White, the taxi-driver, as a singularly competent man who had driven him on many long night trips. On the night of the accident it va9 raining and the glistening asphalt surface made for bad visibility.

The witness suggested that the Coroner might draw attention to the danger to which pedestrians exposed themselves in carelessly stepping off pavements on Eueh a night as that in question to cross the roadway. He wondered that there were not more fatalities, especially in the Square. William White, taxi-driver, who was driving the car in question, aleo gave evidence. When nearing the West street railway crossing -on the return from Rangiotu ho slowed down and looked out for any approaching trains. He hail slowed the ear down to 15 or 20 miles an hour and it was tiler, coasting with the power cut off. Looking back from the railway to the road lie saw a man right up against the front of the car. He was struck down just off the centre of the road on witness’s correct side. There was ample room on the footpath for pedestriuns. The motor car went right over deceased and was pulled up ill about two car-lengths, deceased being dragged some twelve feet or a little more. lie corroborated the evidence of the previous witness on other points including that of the bad visibility •on the night- in question. West street crossing was very dangerous on account of the trees about it. Witness did not sound the horn on approaching the crossing. He thought, that to do so often confused pedestrians. There was no traffic about at the time. It appeared that deceased had been struck” in the back as he was walking along the road in the same direction as tho motor car was going, and in its path. Witness was keeping a. very careful watch for trains.

To the Coroner, witness said that, had he not looked back to see if there was a train approaching, there was every chance that he would have seen deceased earlier'. The car witness was driving was a very silent-running vehicle. He had his lightc dimmed because on such a night it was no assistance to have them on, although had they been full on deceased might have noticed their reflection on the roachvaj and taken heed.

Dr. Forrest, medical superintendent at the Palmerston North hospital stated in evidence that deceased was admitted to the instiutiton about 8.15 p.m. on April 27. lie was quite unconscious and was in a dying condition. His face was lacerated, there was a ivound about the right, eyebrow, and he suffered from a fractured skull, lie died at 10 p.m. without regaining consciousness. The cause of death was a fractured skull. DUTY OF PEDESTRIANS.

“This is a case of pure accident,” commented the Coroner. Ho added that apWhite was driving carefully at tho time of the occurrence but the visibility and weather conditions were bad. Deceased was seriously handicapped by deufness und did not hear ihe approach of the motor car.

Mr Graham said that he could not too strongly impress upon the public the necessity for exercising extreme caution when crossing roads—especially at night time. They did not take sufficient care to avoid accidents. In this case no blame was attachable to the driver of the vehicle whose attention had been taken oif the road when he looked back to eee if any trains were approaching, and in the meantime ho had caught up with deceased.

A verdict in accordance with the medical testimony wus returned.