GHOST AT WHEEL

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 957, 28 April 1930, Page 13

GHOST AT WHEEL

AMAZING THEORY AT INQUEST “HOODOO" ON ROADWAY'* I That a phantom motor-lorry, with a ghost at the wheel, had been responsible for a long series of accidents on a lonely stretch of the main Manchester to Sheffield road, was the amazing theory advanced at an inquest at Hyde, Cheshire. The suggested phenomena were stated to have occurred at a spot at Mottram. near Hyde, where two men were found unconscious on December last. One. Charles Ridgway, 29. of Croft Street, Hyde, who was riding on the pillion of a motor-cycle, died from a fractured skull. His cousin, Albert Collinson, an omnibus driver, who was driving the machine, recov ered. Collinson told the coroner, Mr. Stuart Rodger, that at six o'clock in the morning they were travelling along the Hyde road when a heavy motor vehicle appeared on his lefthand side. It was backing out of an opening between an inn and the crossroads. The coroner intervened nt this stage and stated that there was no opening where the accident occurred. Police officers and members of the jury who knew the place agreod. It was also explained on behalf of the police that there was no evidence of a lorry being at the spot. “It must have been a phantom lorry,” remarked the coroner, who pointed out to Collinson that the accident happened on a dark morning when it was raining. He asked Collinson if he still maintained a definite visual conception of the lorry. Collinson replied that he definitelv remembered seeing “the jagged edge of the lorry.” After the jury had returned a verdict of Accidental death.” the coroner read out a list of accidents that had occurred on this part of the road. Sixteen Accidents This disclosed that since April, 1927, there had been 18 accidents, involving motor-cars; motor-lorries, motor-cycles and pedestrians, for which no satisfactory explanation could be given. The coroner went on to say that he had been so impressed by the circumstances that lie had visited the spot and interviewed old residents, many of whom were in a state of alarm. “One resident there,” continued the coroner, “told me of footsteps outside the house at night. Thev had a dog which would tackle a man. It was sent out when the footsteps were heard, but returned cringing, with its tail between its legs and howling with terror. If any juryman can throw light on the recurrence of these unexplained accidents on this perfectly

straight road I should be obliged. If you could go there, say, at midnight, it might be interesting to you and to me. There is something carious about this place and about the manner of these accidents.” Later, the jurymen visited the spot, and the coroner further stated in an interview that after his inspection he came to the conclusion that there was some mysterious influence over that section of the road. “I believe.” added the coroner, “that there are other stretches of gcx»d road in the country where a series of mysterious accidents have occurred. They may be worthy of investigation from the psychic point of view ”