PEDESTRIAN’S DEATH.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 255, 25 September 1940, Page 8

PEDESTRIAN’S DEATH.

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST; s

The adjourned inquest into the death of George Rowland, aged 66, road contractor, of Tiakitaliuna, who died from injuries, suffered in a collision with a motor-car while he was walking along the main road at Tiakitahuna on September 15, was held today before the District Coroner (Mr A. J. Graham). Acting-Sergeant V. B. Arnold .conducted the proceedings for the police. The Coroner returned a verdict that deceased was accidentally killed through being struck by a car. Alfred Clifford Stewart, farmer; of Opiki, said that on the evening of the accident he was driving his car along the main' highway at Tiakitaliuna, on the way to Palmerston North, at 30 miles an hour, on the correct side of the road. Another car approached, and when it was five chains away it dipped its lights first. Witness also dipped his lights, the effect, when this was done being for the beam to be thrown straight ahead and downwards. When the other vehicle was opposite witness a man, walking in the same direction as witness was going, appeared on the road. Witness swerved to avoid him and the man took a step to the side, but the. car struck him. If witness had had' his headlights full on he thought he would have seen the man, who was walking on the bitumen. Witness had been driving for 11 years without an accident,, and had had no intoxicating liquor on the day of the accident..

Lawrence Bertram Thompsoh, farmer, of Robert’s Line, Whaknrongo, driver of the other car which approached Stewart’s, gave corroborative evidence about the dimming of the lights. He saw no sign of a pedestrian at the scene before the accident. The visibility was bad. Constable G. Chapman also gave evidence. In answer to the Coroner he said that it was his opinion that in some eases the dimming of lights constituted a danger. Deceased’s relatives had said that they had never known him to walk on the road before. Deceased was stone deaf. Under the conditions prevailing witness thought that the driver of the car had taken reasonable precautions. The Coroner returned his verdict as stated.