Fatal Motor Accident

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 174, 13 October 1927, Page 9

Fatal Motor Accident

BAGBY IN DOCK Sequel to Elderly Woman's Death CHARGED with the manslaughter of Mrs. Elizabeth Sarah Short through negligent driving of a motor-car on the evening of September 26, Walter Scott Bagby, the 20-year - old jockey stood in the dock at the Police Court this morning. The adjourned inquest was held simultaneously with the summary proceedings.

TITR. ALAN MOODY appeared for accused, and Mr. A. H. Johnstone for the relatives of Mrs. Short.

The boy, Leslie Hosking, who was also knocked down and received severe injuries to his left leg, had to be carried into Court, and gave evidence propped up on a solicitor’s bench. His leg was bandaged, and he wore slip-

pers of the hospital, where he will be a patient for another fortnight. Dr. Leonard Kerr Crow, attached to the Auckland Hospital, detailed the deceased woman’s injuries which resulted in her death two hours after admission to hospital. Death was

due to shock and haemorrhage consequent upon laceration of the right lung by broken ribs. LITTLE BOY’S EVIDENCE Leslie Howard Hosking, aged 10, said that with his grandmother, Mrs. Short, he left his home, Owen’s Road, shortly after seven o’clock to go to an entertainment. As it was raining they sheltered for a moment under a shop verandah and then stepped out to board an oncoming tram. “I was knocked over when it was stopping, but I thought it had not stopped. I saw a motor-car coming about nine yards behind the tram. “X do not know what happened to grandma, because she was behind me. I could see the car was not going to stop and I jumped toward the tram. The mudguard of the motor hit my left leg. HEARD NO HORN “The motor-car was going pretty fast—about 25 or 30 miles ari hour. I didn’t hear any horn blow. I didn't see the driver of the motor because the lights were too bright.”

Ernest Harradence, a tram motorman, said he was driving the tramcar which the victims were making to board. He had just stopped his car when he heard a scream and the sound of an impact. “I saw the motor-car shoot past, the boy’knocked toward the tramline and the woman carried forward about 60 feet. The motor Would be travelling at 30 miles an hour. The driver kept on as if nothing had happened.” HEARD A SCREAM Edwin John Selman said he was attending to a motor-car with engine trouble when he heard a “loudish” scream. Looking up quickly he saw a woman falling from the right mudguard of a motor-car. She was carried about 40ft. A tram, had stopped before the woman was struck. The motorcar was doing about 20 miles an hour. SKIDDING ALONG CONCRETE William Donald Fairley, contractor, gave evidence that he was waiting to board the tram when he saw a woman’s body skidding along on the concrete in front of a motor-car doing between 25 and 30 miles an hour. She was carried about 50ft. The driver of the motor should have easily heard the woman’s scream. (Proceeding.)