DEATH OF THOMAS O’DONNELL.

Shannon News, 22 February 1929, Page 2

DEATH OF THOMAS O’DONNELL.

CORONIAL INQUIRY. At the conclusion of the Colonial enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Thomas Francis O’Donnell, held at Palmerston N. this morning, the coroner, Mr A. J. Graham, commented adversely upon the handling of the car in which deceased met his death.- O’Donnell died in the Palmerston North public hospital -on January 31st, after receiving injuries to the back in a motor accident on January 23rd. The accident occurred on a dangerous corner near Shannon, when a ear driven by deceased’s brother, Maurice o’Donnell, collided with another, car driven by Ronald Dunbar-KingJ, of (Wellington, and went over tlie bank as a result. Deceased was seriously injured and died a week later in hospital. The evidence of Dunt-ar-King and passengers regarding the speed of O’Donnell’s call’ was directly contrary to that of Maurice O’Donnell, who claimed to be travelling at only fifteen miles an hour on the corner. The coroner commented: “Apparently the

principal cause of this unfortunate accident- was the speed at which Maurice O’Donnell negotiated'what is ack nowledged as a bad bend. It seems to me that O’Donnell, knowing that his foot brake was faulty, when lie realised his dangeious situation in negotiating the bend would have applied his hand brake as well. " Mr Cooper appeared for DunbarKing and senior-Sergeant Whitehouse conducted the case for the police. In the box Maurice O’Donnell, brother of the deceased and driver of the car at the time of the accident stated he had been driving

from Levin to Wanganui. About three miles on the Levin side of Shannon on a dangerous corner he had encountered another car driving in the opposite direction. Witness had been driving close in to the bank on the correct side and had been afraid of striking the bank and in attempting to avoid a collision, had found the car

running diagonally across the road, striking the other car at the rear and capsizing over the bank. He had attempted to keep the car on its course, but had realised the steering gear had broken. Witness was emphatic that he had not been driving at a greater speed than fifteen miles per hour,-al-though the speedometer on the car was broken and he had no means of checking this. He had driven a car off and on . for some time but regularly only since September. He had realised when he saw the approaching car that there would be very little room to spare and he had applied the footbrake but not the hand brake, although he admitted he knew the former was not holding well. He had not applied the hand brake as it would have meant taking one hand off the steering, gexr. He had thought that he could get through without a collision. , To Mr Cooper: He admitted he knew the corner was a dangerous one and had slackened up immediately before negotiating the corner, and had been well over on the left hand side, hugging the bank. /The other car had appeared to be to far over to allow witness to pass. It had been, at least in the middle of the road. He had not watched, the other car but the bank which lie had been afraid of striking. He was not sure which -part of his car had been struck, but as a result of the collision, had capsized over the bank. As the result of this liis brother had been seriously hurt, and after receiving medical attention had been taken to hospital. To the Coroner: He stated he was positive he did not swing out when turning the corner-. He had not applied the hand brake as he had not considered a collision inevitable. Dr. Miller gave medical evidence as to the injuries sustained by deceased. He had examined him in hospital on January 24th, when he had been suffering from a dislocated neck. He had lingered on until January 31st, when he had died from ascending myelitis a 3 the result of the spinal column being crushed. Tlie -injuries were consistent with the history of the case.

Ronald Henry Dunbar-King, of Wellington, stated that on January 23rc\, he had been driving towards Levin, returning to Wellington from a motor tour of the North Island. At about 7.30 p.m. he had rounded a sharp bend near Shannon and had met another car proceeding in the opposite direction and also rounding the bend. Witness had been travelling not more than 15 miles per hour, but the driver of the other car at fully 30 miles per hour. Witness had been not more than three feet from his left hand side and had made a swerve in an endeavour to avoid a collision, but in passing the other car had struck the rear mudguard and run over the bank. Witness pulled up in a ear length and had found one of the occupants cf the other car badly injured. In witness judgment the speed of the other car had a great deal to do with its going over the bank. As a speed of 30 miles per hour, a driver could not avoid swinging out to negotiate a bend. To Mr Cooper, witness stated the road was 18 feet wide at that spot. The other car had had fully nine feet of the road.

To the Coroner: The other car had travelled about 25 feet after the impact. Witness sounded his horn before rounding the bend, but had reciv ed no warning from 0 ’Donnell.

Corroborative evidence was given by this witness’s father and brother, who had been passengers in the ear. Constable Compton described being called to the scene of the accident and superintending the removal of the injured man. There was no loose metal on the corner although large stones were sticking out of the surface of the road. Maurice O’Donnell had told him he had lost control as a result of striking Dunbar-King’s car. The Coroner found that deceased died at Palmerston North on January

31st from injuries received in. the over’ [ turning of a car on the Shannon road ! on January 23rd, and made the com ments given above.