CHILD'S DEATH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 57, 29 October 1931, Page 3

CHILD'S DEATH

CORONER'S INQUIRY RAN ACROSS RAILS IN FRONT * OF APPROACHING EXPRESS LEVEL CROSSING ACCIDENT "It appears that the , driver did ; everything possible to warn the child and avoid the aceident. Apparently « there is no blame attachable to anyone unless it he to the Government whieh maintains those level crossings. This is only another exampel of the danger of level crossings in New Zealand," said the Coroner (Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M.,) yesterday when returning a verdict of accidental death • following an inquest into the level - erossing fatality at Te Koutu on Oc- * tober 12 when a two and a half year old child, Colin Tupg.Ka-_Dinsdale, wSt V."1 struck by the ArfCkland-Rotorua express. Dr. Brian George Thompson, giving • evidence, stated that about 5 p.m. on October 12. the child * had been brought into King George V. Hospital. Life was then extinet, the- whole of the right side of the head being " smashed to a pulp. Death had been caused by laceration of the brain and would be practically instantane- • ous.

Ran Back Again The driver of the express, Wiliiam Henry McDell, said that as "the train approached the Te Koutu level erossing he had sounded the whistle. After the whistle had been sounded, he had seen the child walk across the rails but as the train approached, it had . suddenly turned and started to cross back again- Witness stated that he had sounded the whistle- when he saw the child commence to go back but it had not stopped hina, and the headstop of the engine had struck the little boy on the head- The train would be about nine yards off the- erossing* when the child started to go back, and was travelling at about 40 m.p.h. at the time of the impact. He had not noticed any other children in . the vieinity of the erossing at the time. When the child suddenly turned back, nothing could be done to stop the train whieh would traverse nine yards in a matter of a second at the speed it was travelling. There was a clear view on the erossing and the child was thrown clear after the impact.

Heard Children Scream Laura Gordon, residing at Te Koutu said that just before the express came through on the afternoon of the fatality, she saw a number of children leave the front gate of the house occupied by the deceased child's parents. There were three of the Dinsdale children in the group but witness did not particularly notice the little boy, Colin. She did -not hear the train whistle unduly, but her attontion was attracted when she heard the children scream. The train was pulled up and when witness arrived on - the scene she saw the child lying on the ground. He appeared to be lifeless at the time. To the Coroner, the witness said that the children in the group were all young and would not be able to ; narrate the circumstances of the ae1 cident. , The father of the child, John Dinsdale, a labourer employed by the Wai- | ariki Land Board, gave evidence of ' identification when the inquest was first opened. The child was 2£ years ! of age and so far as witness lcnew, j was not in the habit of playing near - ; the level erossing. The Coroner returned a verdict of ! accidental death in accordance with ' the evidence.