TATARAIMAKA MOTOR-CYCLE FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 285, 11 May 1915, Page 3

TATARAIMAKA MOTOR-CYCLE FATALITY.

TUB KQL'KST. At the Xcw Plymouth Courthouse yesterday morning the Coroner, Mr. A. Crookc,' S.M., conducted the adjourned inquest into the circumstances of the dentil of William McCormiclt, '2B years of age, who lost his life in the 'Pitone Gulley, near Tataraimaka, oil Saturday night, May 1, as the result of colliding on his motor-cycle with a trap, which, it was admitted by the occupants, did not carry lights. Samuel Cameron, farmer at Awatuna, said he had never met the deceased. At seven o'clock on May 1 lie was in his son-in-law's house at Timaru Hill, leaving there in company with his son-in-law, Mr. 'McDonvll, in a gig which was driven by witness. There was no one else in the gig. They were going to Air. llichardson's, and on tlie way nad to pass through the Pitone Gully. It was a moonlight night, and when ho was at the foot of the sully he saw a iW't approaching from the direction of the Tataraimaka school. He recognised the light as belonging to a motor-cycle, and stopped in order to let it pass. The gig was on the left side, which was the proper side. When he first saw the light it would be, from what he had seen afterwards, at about the Tutaraimaka school. The light seemed to disappear for a second or two, and the. gig continued down to the foot of the gully. When they got to the bottom the light re-appeared. By this time he had pulled up, so as to let it pass. When it re-appeared the light was quite close to I the gig, and struck the liorse on the'! near shoulder. The horse did not fall down. Witness and his son-in-law immediately jumped up. The belly-band, of the horse had broken, and witness went to attend to this. After the collision he saw the motor-cycle and the man lying on the ground. Tlie man did not speak. Witness, after fixing up the belly-band, jumped into the gig again and drove lrp to the telephone oilice, where the people in charge rang up for the doctor and the police. He then went back to the scene of the accident, where his son-in-law told him that the man lmil passed away. He could not say whether deceased was riding the cycle steadily or not, as he was busy looking after the horse. When the light re-appeared the motor-cycle was on its wrong side of the road. The horse sustained a nasty cut on the middle of the chest, and there was also a swelling on the left shoulder, from which injuries the horse had not yet recovered. He could not say whether the motor-cycle was damaged or not. Witness and his son-in-law were perfectly sober; they had not had any drink. In reply to the Coroner, witness said deceased appeared to be coming on in a straight line. At the time the bicycle struck the gig was stationary, and the moon was overhead, but there might have been a shadow. The road was quite clear. There was no light on the gig. He could not account for deceased colliding with the gig. There was plenty of room. McDonell whistled as deceased approached, but the sound might not have been heard. To the Sub-Inspector: Witness never thought there would be a collision, us he expeofesd the motorist would turn aside. He did not see deceased clearly before the collision, as he was attending to the horse. Alexander C. McDonell, who was in the gig with the last witness, gave corroborative evidence. Deceased had his head down attending to the bicycle. Oliver N. Firth, manager of the Westport Coal Company, testified to going to the scene of the accident. Both Cameron and McDonell were perfectly sober. There was time for deceased, after rounding the bend, to escape a collision. Had there been a light oil the gig, witness considered it would have enabled the deceased to avoid the collision.

After the luncheon adjournment, Dr. Walker was called. lie, stated that in response to an urgent call lie went to the Pitone Gullv. and found the deceased lying on the roadside. Witness proceeded to describe the injuries of the deceased. The lower jaw was fractured. and he considered there was also a fracture of the skull with intra-cranial hemorrhage, the latter being the immediate cause of death.

The Coroner, in summing up, remarked that according to the evidence the gig was stationary on its proper side of tin; road at the time of the accident, whilst on the other hand the evidence was conclusive that the deceased was riding along on his wrong side of the road. The only point was as to whether the absence of lights on the gig was the cause of the collision, and he did not consider the evidence was conclusive enough to justify him in saving that the accident was due to negligence on the part of Cameron. ITo therefore returned a verdict- of "accidental death," but referred to the j,reat risk there was when people, drove vehicles without lights, even 011 moonlight nights. Had there been light* on Ui'.s gig, there would have been no suspicion, but as it was it was a lrnfter of doubt, and he could not act upon suppositions.