MOTOR FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1920, Page 5

MOTOR FATALITY.

CAR AND CYCLIST COLLIDE. CONFLICTING EVIDENCE. ; By T»leeraDh.—Press Association. Gisborne, Last Night. An inquest was opened to-day concerning the death of Bertie Atliol Rhodes, a returned soldier, 27 years of age, unmarried, who died at the Cook Hospital, following on injuries received in a collision between a motor car and a motor cycle ridden by Bhodes, on September 2fi. livideuee was given that the car was crossing over the main street from a side street, when the car struck the cycle. Both were on their right sides. A police witness estimated the speed of the ear at ten miles au hour. Another witness said the cyclist was travelling at seven or eight miles an hour. Mary Alice Leslie, fourteen years of age. driver of the car, said that a tramcar was standing in the main Btreet, almost at the intersection. Witness sounded the horn three times. When she saw the cycle, witness swerved, but the cycle swerved also towards the car. The tram obstructed the view. Witness was travelling not more than ten miles an hour. The brakes did not act straight away, a fact which witness could not account for. Witness had driven the car into town six or seven times previously, and had also driven another car.

The tram driver, giving evidence, said that the girl was driving between 25 and 2S miles an hour. As far as witness could sei, the girl made no attempt to slacken speed when approaching the intersection. The motor cyclist was travelling at ten miles an hour on the Tight side. The inquest was adjourned till Tnesdtf, a