MOTORING FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1917, Page 5

MOTORING FATALITY.

MR. JOHN SKINNER KILLED. , " CAR RUNS OVER BANK s TURNS SEVERAL SOMERSAULTS. By Telegraph.—-Press Association; Marton, Last Night. A fatal car accident occurred oa tin Bulls-Turakina road this afternoon. A cnr, driven by Mr. Kenneth WeWter, of Palmerston North, containing Mr, John , Skinner, an elderly resident of New Plymouth, ran over a bank on the aido of the road, turning several eomersaalts. Mr. Skinner received injuries to his head, dying immediately afterwards. Mr. Webster was severely shaken, mit ' was siblo to proceed home. The body ■ was brought to Marton, where an inquest will bo held to-morrow. (Private information received in" New Plymouth shows that Mr. Kenneth Web- ' stcr had Bis collar-bone broken.) - The late Mr. John Skinner, who was Of. years of age, was Iborn in New Ply. mouth, being e. son of one of the pioneer settlers, Mr. Thos. Kingwell Skinner, who landed in Taranaki in 1841, He took up the profession of surveyor and engineer and carried out many works in Taranaki for the county council, for whom he acted as engineer for win* years. He was a strong advocate of reinforced concrete for bridges and erectcd several for the county, among theat being that over the Waiwakaibo at FM«roy, but had of late given up active business work. On Tuesday, accepting the offer «f Mr. Kenneth Webster to motor him to Palmerston, Mr. Skinner left -Stew PJy. mouth, on his way to Timaru, it being liia intention to pick up his unmarried daughter (GwendoJin) at Wellington, und then spend Christmas with his daughter (Mrs. Scott) at Timaru, hi* other daughter, Mrs. Malcolm, of GUborne, having preceded him thither. The deceased was a brother of Mr. T. K. Skinner, of New Plymouth, and Mr. W. 11. Skinner (Commissioner of Crown Lands). The motorists, it is believed, stayef af; Hawera on Tuesday night, and wero proceeding to Palmerston when the sad fatality occurred. The greatest sympathy i s felt for the relatives, especially for Mr. Skinner's aged mother, who is living in Powderham Street. In addition to the children mentioned there is a son in Sydney.