JUNCTION ROAD FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 May 1921, Page 6

JUNCTION ROAD FATALITY.

THE CORONER’S FINDING.

COLLISION AN ACCIDENT.

The circumstances surrounding the death of an elderly man named William Hannah, which occurred on Saturday night near New Plymouth, as the resuit of a collision between his horse and a car driven by a young man named Wheeler, formed the subject of an inquest held yesterday. The Coroner (Mr C. R. Ort Walker) presided. Senior-Sergeant McCrorie led the evidence for the police, and Mr. D. Hutchen watched proceedings on behalf oi Wheeler.

A son of the deceased, Victor Hannah, said his father left home about 9.30 on Saturday morning. The horse he was riding was a quiet animal about six years old. His father was not accustomed to ride his horse very fast owing to being troubled with rheumatism! Dr. E. A. Walker, medical superintendent of the New Plymouth public hospital, said Hannah was admitted about 6.5 p.m. on Saturday and was seen by wit ness a few minutes after. Hannah was deeply unconscious and was sutlering from a fracture of the base of the skull, to which he succumbed.

The driver of the car, Frank Leslie Wheeler, said he was employed by Mr. C. H. Burgess. On Saturday he left “Hapurunui” (Mr. Burgess’s home) about six o’clock en route for town. Coming down an incline near the scene of the accident the lights of the car were shining on the middle of the road and to the right-hand side. Suddenly he caught sight, a few feet in front, of a plunging horse, as if it was bolting. Before witness had time to apply the brakes or declutch, the impact had taken place. The glass from the windscreen was showered all over him, and he immediately took steps to stop the car. Hannah was thrown about the length of the car into the left hand gutter. After pulling up witness went to investigate and found Hannah unconscious. He was going for help when he saw a car approaching and went and stopped it* The driver (Therkleson). took Hannah to the hospital. The accident happened on witness’ correct side, and the horse was struck in the chest. It appeared to have one leg caught in the front axle and the animal was carried along by the car. Witness estimated he was going along at twenty miles an hour, and he said there would have been no accident if deceased had been on his correct side of the road.

To Mr. Hutchen: He had been driving a car for eight years and had never had an accident previously. To the Coroner: He thought the horse was going at a big pace. He did not think the other construction—that the car was going too fast—could be put on the accident.

Charles Therkleson, Vogeltown. taxicar owner, said on Saturday, while returning from Inglewood to New Plymouth. he was stopped by Wheeler, who said he had had an accident, and witness took Hannah to the hospital. To the Coroner: From the top of the hill the road down to the corner (a distance of about seven chains) was in clear view.

Senior-Sergeant McCrorie gave particulars of the result of investigations made after the accident. There were footprints of the horse in the gutter which might have indicated that the horseman had pulled in to the bank to avoid the car, and that the horse had taken fright and pulled out in front of the machine.

To the Coroner: As far as could be seen the car was well on the left side. The Coroner’s finding was that deceased died from a fracture of the base of the skull through being thrown from his horse. There was no evidence to show that the collision was other than an accident.