THE "TANK" FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 December 1918, Page 6

THE "TANK" FATALITY.

INQUEST CONCLUDED.

The inquest into the circumstances of the death of Walter Alex Smith, a visitor from Masterton to Saw Plymouth, who died in li.ic Public Hospital 011 November 'l2 from injuries received through falling oil' a motor vehicle disguised as a "tank,'' and taking part in the peace celebrations, was resumed yesterday morning, before the district coroner, Mr A. Crook, S.M. Sergeant l'reliey represented the police. 1-tf.ieinhold Gredig, a motor mechanic, stated that on Xoveinber 12 he was driving the vehicle constructed as a tank, and was taking part in the "peace" celebrations. He took the tank along the South road about three o'clock in the afternoon. Ilnere were about flight people on the machine when they left the garage. Witness did not know when deceased boarded the tank. When they reached Morshead's nursery he was going at about eight miles an hour. * Witness went along the tram rails and just before reaching Morshead's he felt the machine commence to swing. He shut off the engine and the tank took a swing to the left. He then applied, all brakes. The front wheels jumped t/he kerbing on the left-hand side of the road and the fore part of the tank bumped into the fence. On getting out, witness found some of the passengers (recovering themselves, and. one was attending to deceased 011 the footpath. He went to assist with another passenger, and later he saw deceased taken away in another motor. On examining the tank he found the righthand front tyre flat. H© gathered up some of the pieces of the tank and drove back to the garage. The framework of the tank was built only to give tliie shape and not to sustain any weight. There were two platforms on the machine, capable of carrying 12 to 14 passengers. Witness judged that when the car swerved the passengers were thrown against the framework of the tank which, being light, collapsed. Witness had portholes in front and at either side, and had a clear view of the road. He could not see behind him.

To the Coroner: He could only surmise that the bursting of tihe tyre caused the car to swerve. He applied the brakes as soon as he discovered what was happening. The brakes acted all right. The car did not capsize, but only the structural part of tlhc tank, on the right-hand side. When witness got out most of the passengers were standing on the roadway. He did not hear any sound of the tyre bursting.

B. H. Gardner, railway storeman, New Plymouth, who was on the tank on the day of the accident, stated deceased "and another man joined the veIhicle while it was in motion, at the .Terminus Hotel corner. Deceased was standing on the back of the car and was holding on to witness, who was leaning against another man who was holding on to a rail on the front of the car. The car kept a steady course prior to tihe accident. When the car swerved to the left those on the car fell against the right-hand side of the tank, which gave way and they fell on to Uhe road. Witness was not hurt, and he helped to pick up some of the other passengers. Deceased had been removed from the road to the footpath when witness saw him. Attempts were being made to restore deceased to consciousness. He was bleeding from tfae right car. Witness sent for a doctor but could not get one, and then deceased was taken to the hospital in another car. Another passenger (Joseph Sturmey) had four ribs broken and received injuries to his

head. Deceased and his mate boarded the car without being asked to do so. Witness did not think the ear travelled more than .about 20 feet from the time the swaying commenced. L. L. Humphries, storeman, Moturoa, who was also on the car, said Ihe was on the look-out and helping to direct the driver as to any traffic on the road. He felt the car swerve three times in a short distance, and then turn to titie left and bump the fence. All the passengers except witness and another man were thrown on to the road on the right-hand side of tte car. Constable Wroblenski gave evidence as to inspecting, at the request of the driver of the car, the locality of the accident. His account, judging from the marks on the road, which were quite distinct when he saw them, corroborated the evidence of Gredig. The back wheels had evidently skidded vrfoen the brakes were applied, and the front wheel marks were irregular, particularly that of the right side wheel. The whole distance travelled, from the time the car commenced to swerve, would be approximately 18 feet. Dr E. Walker, medical superintendent of the New 'Plymouth' Hospital, deposed that deceased was admitted to the hospital at 3.50 p.m. on November 12, and was obviously dying. • There were the indications of fracture of the base of the skull, with extensive intracranial bleeding. He died at 4 p.m., the cause of death being the aforesaid condition. The condition was

likely to arise from a severe fall on the head.

The verdict was in accordance wit 1

the medical evidence, and that there was no blame attachable to anyone.