THE SANSON SMASH

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10611, 9 June 1920, Page 3

THE SANSON SMASH

EtdIENOE AT THE INQUEST WITNESSES TELL STORY OF THE CRASH. THE CORONER’S COMMENT. At Palmerston North on Monday, Mr E. Goodbeherc, of Feilding, coroner, took the adjourned hearing of tho inquest into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the three victims of the Sanson motor smash, Messrs Arthur Eglinton, of Sanson; Alfred E. Penny, also of Sanson; and Frank Kidman, of AVellington. Sergeant Fitzpatrick conducted the proceedings for the police, Mr H. Gifford Moore -was present on behalf of the Taxi-Driver's 1 Association, and Mr J. Graham, of Feilding, appeared for the relatives of the late Mr Eglinton. Tho first -witness called was William S. Penny, who gave formal evidence as bo having identified tho body of his brother, who was a farmer, of 34 or 35 years of ,ng®. MR EGLINTON’B SON JAMES GIVES EVIDENCE.

Court ley Ernest James Eglinton, a son of the deceased Mr EMinton, fifteen years of age, stated that on the twentieth of last month he drove into Palmerston North in a car with his lather. The other occupants were Mr and Mrs A’Court and the deceased Mr Penny. About half-past live In tho evening the car left Palmerston North to return home, Mr Eglinton driving, with Mrs A’Court in the front seat. In the rear seat Mr A’Court was on tho left, Mr Penny in the middle, and witness on the right. The lights were burning when the oar left Palmerston North. When the oar reached a point on the road opposite bis father’s house witness jumped out and his father drove on to take Mr and Mrs A’Court home. Witness noticed the rear light burning as ho watched the car receding for a moment and then he walked to the gate. A moment afterwards ha heard the crash of the collision and ran_ to tho spot, which was about 17 chains from the gate of his home. The car appeared to he travelling on the left hand side of the road after it had left him. The car pulled _up at. the gate on the right hand side of the road in order to bo near the gate, which was' on the right side, but on pulling away it crossed to the left Hand side again. On reaching the scene he saw that his father’s car was pointing to the north, with the front wheels on the crown of the road and the rear on the grass. The other car was a few' vnrds further on on the Palmerston North aide and was pointing south. Its front wheels wore on the left hand side of , the road going towards Sanson, and the body was on the side of tho road. His father was Iving in the corner of tho front seat. Witness saw that he was dead. Mr Penny was lying on the ground near the back wheel. Witness’s father was a capable driver, and had never previously, during the four years ho had possessed a car, had an accident. A LADY’S EXPERIENCE. Ella K. A’Court. wife of H. T. A’Oourt, of Sanson, fanner, stated that on May 20th she was an occupant of Mr Eglinton’a car. After pulling up at Mi- Eglintou’s house to let the eon alight, tho car proceeded on towards Sanson. Having stopped on the right hand side, Mr Eglinton crossed over to the left again on resuming the journey to take the other occupants to their homes. Witness was sitting beside the driver in the front seat, and !on approaching a slight bond on the road a short distance from Mr Eglinton’s house saw' the lights of an approaching car, which crashed into tho oar witness was riding in. At, that particular point the lights on Mr Eglinton’s car wera burning, and ho was on the left-hand side of tho road. Sergeant Fitzpatrick: If other witnesses say that the lights on. your car were not burning at that time will you Stall adhere to your statement? Winess: Yes. Continuing, witness said that she could not say what distance separated the cars when sho first saw the lights. The whole thing was over in a flash. Witness further stated that Mr Eglinton’s oar was not travelling quickly. In reply to tho coroner, witness stated that she thought Mr Eglinton dimmed his lights as tho other car appeared. . .. Air H. T. A’Court gave similar evidence. THE TAXI-DRIVER’S STORY. Very pale, walking slowly with a limp and leaning on a stick, the taxidriver, Air Warren Nowth, entered the court to give evidence. One of his eyes hasi suffered severely from the accident, and it was apparent that ha is recovering from severe shock.

Witness stated that he was a taxidriver, residing at 217, Park road, and that on Alay 20th last ho was con : veying passengers from tho Wanganui races to Palmerston North. His ca. left the course between a quarter and ten minutes to 5 o’clock. Alessrs Powell, Kidman and AlcConkey were sitting in the back seat, and Rendl© and Foilcloth in the front. At Timvkma witlie&3 pulled up <vtr tlie hotel fit the request of his passengers, and waited there for six or eight minutes. At about half-past 5 the party left Turakina and proceeded on the journey. His car had electric lights, which were burning. He saw nothing of the otbcar until the smash occurred. Die only explanation ho could give for not seeing the other car was that it naa no lights. Being on a bend his lights would bo thrown off the road, so that the other oar could not bo m tho beam. Tho curtain of his car was nob up on tho driving side. Throughout tho journey from Turakina to Sanson witness drove his car at a speed ranging from 25 to 27 miles an hour, with probable increases on down grades. ' _ Tho coroner: You say that you stopped at Turakina. Did you have anything to drink there? , Witness: Half of a whisky and water. ... 1 . .j The coroner: This is a good road, and you would bo travelling faster there than in other parts of the )ourWitncss replied : that he was not travelling at. more than twenty-seven miles an hour at the time of the accident. . The coroner: Y T ou did not, of course, do anything to stop your car, not seeing the other one until the smash ? Witness replied that he had done nothing- as. far as ho could remember, and explained that after having driven a car constantly for years us ho had done, actions wore done automatically without having to think of what should bo dona. Witness repeated to Air Graham his previous explanation for having missed seeing the other car. Although tho bend was an easy one, it would be

sufficient to throw the lights of a car off the road at the curve. When passing Sanson a suggestion was made by one of the party that a stop should be made at Sanson for tea, but the others decided to go on After passing through the township there was no further conversation. In reply to another question, witness stated that he had no idea as to where Air Eglinton’s car was, though he was perfectly sure that it was not within the ray of hie lights. Witness was driving on the left-hand side of the road. In turning the corner he might twist his foot on the accelerator and make a mile or two difference in the speed. He could not remember whether be did so or not on this occasion. • In his opinion, Mr Eglinton must have been on his wrong side ot the road or crossing from the ’wrong to the right. At twenty-seven miles an hour his car would not have swung out to the wrong side of the road, but at forty it would have bad a tendency to swing out. Witness again affirmed, most emphatically, that there, were no lights on Mr Eglinton’s car. MR KIDMAN'S INJURIES.

Dr Putnam stated that he attended the late Mr Kidman on the evening of the accident, May 20th, on his admission to the public hospital. Deceased was suffering from a fracture of the base «jf the skull and a lacerated wound on the forehead. His condition did not improve, and he gradually became quite unconscious, and died on May 24th of meningitis, as a result of the fracture. He was only •jerai-conscious on admission. THE FINDING—AND COMMENT.

A subsequent Press Association message stated that the coroner found that Egliuton’e car was on the correct side of the road, and that up to •i' minute before the collision had its lights burning. As to the speed of die cars, Egliuton'a had not much pace, but Nowth’s was travelling at 25 miles an hour, and probably mope. The coroner did not consider SO miles, an hour, or a little over, an excessive speed at the • particular place where the collision occurred. Ho thought there was failure on the part of the driver of Kowth’s car to keep a proper look-out. If the latter had taken ordinary care he must have seen the lights of Eglinton’s car, and been prepared. Therefore he found some negligence on Nowth’s part in. failing to keep a proper look-out. Under the circumstances, ho would return an open verdict that deceased died from injuries sustained in a motor collision at Sanson on May 20th. The' coroner added that he would like to remark on reckless driving, ! which undoubtedly was carried on throughout the country, and which caused the accidents they read about go often. To his mind these accidents were the result of carelessness. It was necessary that some action should bo taken to prevent reckless driving.