ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

Southland Times, Issue 18835, 31 May 1920, Page 5

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

DEATH OF SYDNEY SMALL. AN INQUEST OPENED. (Special to the Times). CHRISTCHURCH, May 29. An inquest on Sydney Caleb Small was opened to-day before Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.M., Coroner, but it was adjourned since McCausland is still in hospital. Mr J. R. Cunningham wa.ched the proceedings for the widow. Huoii Alexander Archdall gave evidence of identification. He said Small had not been ih permanent employment since his return from the war, but doing some odd bits of farm work for his friends. John Fraser, labourer, a member of the party in the car, said that three of them were sitting in the front seat, witness beipg in the centre. McCausland was driving, and Small was on the outride. They stopped at the New Brighton Hotel and. had two drinks ell round. He could not say what McCausland drank. As the car approached the scene of the accident he supposed thal it ,\vould be travelling at from twelve to fourteen miles -per hour. Witness knew nothing about motors, but this was a new car and appeared to be running well. They were just turning at 'he bend. Then he found himself under the car, the deceased being next to him. When he got Small out he was quite dead.

To Mr Cunningham: McCausland was a shearer. He met the other members of the party in the United Service Hotel. He announced that he had a new car, and invited the others to come for “a spin.” Just by the side of the road at the bend where the accident occurred was a water hole about six inches deep. McCausland was verv careful on the corners.

To the Coroner: Ihe car left the road and went down a bit of a bank before it top.pled over. It went through the water hole. He thought that that caused tbe car to upset. He did not hear the brakes go on. Just before the accident they were all talking together in the front seat. William Thomson, a patient in the Chalmers Military Hospital, said that McCausland was sober when he invited the party to join him in the motor. The accident took place fifteen or twenty minutes after ihe car left the New Brighton Hotel. He heard no brakes applied before the accident, and he did not think that the car eased up before going round the corner, but it had not been going fast. Gerald Thomas Riordan, labourer, said that he thought all of the' party had small shandies at New Brlgh on. John McClure, formerly an hotelkeeper, said that the car approached the corner ai a nice easy speed. So far as he recollected McCausland slowed down to take the turn. The inquest was adjourned until June 4.