THE WELLINGTON MOTOR FATALITY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8318, 22 December 1906, Page 5

THE WELLINGTON MOTOR FATALITY.

JURY'S VERDICT.

By Telegraph—"Press Association.

WELLINGTON, Deo. 21

The enquiry into the Bowen Street accident, wbioh resulted in the death of Mrs Kensington; was resumed before the Coroner, Mr Jas Ashcrott, at Wellington, yes* terday. The evidence of Miss Louisa Kensington and several others was taken

The Coroner, in summing op to the Jury. said that on the occasion of this aooident the ladies had not the slightest intimation that anything woaid erase their path. To him it appeared that in such a case when a vehicle came suddenly round a corner and did damage there was something blameworthy in the action of the person driving the car. The question was whether the car turned the oorner with proper precaution to prevent injuiy. bio far as he could make out when the ladies first saw the oar coming it could not have been more than 24 fwet fiom them. If eo they had just four seconds to set out of the way. Ought nut the driver, instead of risking the chance of the ladies going fast or slow across the road, to have (stopped dead until they were safely across? It seemed to him that it was greai; rashness to torn the corner at 12 to 15 miles an hoar. The Jury, after an hour's deliberation, returned the following verdict:— "We jre unanimously of the opinion that Mrs Kensington met her death by accident and misadventure by being knooked down by a motor fire engine, and that no blame is attachable to the. driver of the engine, as we are convinced from the evidence that he saw a clear course when turning into J3ow> n Street. We are of opinion that fire engine warnings are not distinct enough ■from the electrio tram warning bell; that something that should be recognised as a fire engine alarm should be procured, and that stringent regulations, should be brought into forae regulating the speed of all motor vehicles." The Jury tendered their sincere sympathy with the bereaved family.

The Ooroner said that he was bound to accept the verdiot, but he wished to say he disagreed wath it, particularly in view of the evidence tendered regarding the late of speed at which the engine rounded the Bowen Street corner.