LEVEL CROSSING ACCIDENT.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 320, 24 December 1929, Page 4

LEVEL CROSSING ACCIDENT.

VERDICT at inquest. No Blame Attachable to Anyone. A verdict of accidental death was returned by the coroner, Mr. .C. M. Gummer, at the adjourned inquest on Monday into the death of John Edward Fitt, who was killed on Wednesday, when his grocer’s delivery van was struck by a train at Halley’s crossing on the Kiwitahi road, about a mile from Morrinsville.

Sydney Herbert Brown, painter, said he was working on a house about a quarter of a mile from the crossing at the time of the accident. He noticed a train go past and heard the whistle sound when it was about a quarter of a mile from the crossing. There was an extraordinarily strong wind blowing at the time, which would take the sound of the whistle away from a motorist crossing the line.

James Keith Robson, motor mechanic, said that about 10 o’clock on the morning of the accident he had tested the footbrake of deceased’s van, which was in good order. When he last saw the van it was in fair running order. If the car stopped before it reached the crossing and then moved forward the only reason witness could assign for it going on was that deceased left the hand brake forward and that his foot slipped off the low gear pedal. With the foot brake off this would cause the car to move forward. John Edmund Vemer, railway surfaceman, said that about 12.55 on the day of the accident he was walking along the railway line from Morrinsville towards Halley’s crossing on his way to work. When about 150 yards from the crossing he saw the engine about half a mile off, coming towards Morrinsville. He saw a motor vehicle on the Kereone road about a quarter of a mile from the crossing, travelling at a fair pace. He noticed that when about 150 yards from the crossing it appeared to slow down, and when about 50 yards from the crossing it was going very slow. He had the impression the driver had noticed the engine and was slowing up. When the car was about 10 yards from the crossing it stopped, for two or three seconds. It then started to come forward very slowly. He was then about 60 yards from the crossing and had a clear view of the motor. The engine was a little distance off when the car took the crossing and witness thought the car would just get clear. The front wheels were over the line when it was struck by the engine. After the crash the van was carried along about 25 yards before being thrown clear on the left side of the line facing Morrinsville. The engine passed witness and pulled up in about 100 yards. Deceased was lying underneath the wrecked chassis and witness assisted the engine crew to remove the body. Deceased was alive, and appeared to expire about seven minutes after the accident, just before the doctor and constable arrived.

James Morton i'oung, enginedriver employed on the MorrinsvilleWalton shunting service, said when about 300 yards from Halley’s crossing he blew the whistle, and at the same time noticed a van approaching from the Kereone side, which was his side of the engine. It was about 150 yards away from the crossing, and he had a clear view of it. As soon as he blew the whistle the speed of the van slackened visibly, which gave him the impression the van driver had heard the whistle. When the engine was about 50 yards from the crossing he noticed the van had stopped aoout five yards from the line. It then commenced to move forward very slowly, and he shut off steam and applied the brake just before the impact. It was practically a broadside crash. He considered deceased had heard the whistle and looked in the wrong direction and concluded the crossing was safe, or else the clutch had become engaged and the van had moved slowly forward.

William John * Harrson Thompson, fireman on the engine, said he "was on the left hand side of the engine, and saw nothing of the van. The whistle was sounded about 300 yards from the crossing. He heard the brakes applied by the engine-driver, but did not know at the time what the engine had hit. Constable Heeps gave formal evidence.

The Coroner said the evidence showed the cause of deceased’s death was purely accidental. His verdict would be that deceased was killed through the motor van he was driving being struck by a train at Halley’s crossing, no blame being attachable to anyone.