CORONER’S COMMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 52, 29 January 1938, Page 11

CORONER’S COMMENT

AUCKLAND FATALITY. CRASH INTO POLE. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Jan. 28. “This accident was caused by drink; there is no doubt about that,” said the Coroner (Mr- F. K. Hunt) to-day at the conclusion of the inquest concerning the death of Andrew Miller I>onnachie, aged 22, a service car driver, who died in hospital twelve hours after the car he was driving crashed into a telegraph pole in Tamaki Drive, Kohimarara,' at 2 o’clock on Christmas morning. The evidence showed tlrat Donnachie was accompanied by four other men; the one who was in the front seat was asleep, and when he fell against Donnachie’s arm the latter lost control of the car, which swerved across the road on the wrong side and struck the pole. All the occupants, with one exception, were taken to hospital. The police said all the occupants appeared to have been sliglitly intoxicated, seven bottles _of beer and five empty bottles being found in the wrecked car. Dr. Beattie said that when admitted to hospital Donnachie smelt strongly of alcohol. The cause of death was internal haemorrhage from lacerations of the right lung. The Coroner returned a verdict that death had been caused by injuries received when the car driven by deceased collided with a telegraph pole.