A SAD FATALITY.

Wairarapa Age, 29 March 1920, Page 5

A SAD FATALITY.

At Carterton. ■ /

BOY RUN OVER BY MOTOR LORRY. (From Our Resident Reporter.) 7 Quite a gloom was cast over tlie town on Saturday afternoon, when it became known that the eight-year-old son of Mr. Ernest Croad had been run over by a motor delivery van in Richmond Street, and had died from tho injuries received. Mr. Croad, who is only a recent arrival to the town from Napier, having previously lived in Ballance (Pahiatua), will have the sympathy of a wide circle of friends in his sad bereavement. THE INQUEbT. An inquest touching the death of Henry Ernest G. Croad was held before Mr. B. Trapp, J.P., at the Court House yesterday afternoon, and a jury of Messrs C. J. De Lacoy (foreman), H. Hall, V. Vennell, and A. Pink. -

Dr. Parker stated ih&t he was called shortly after 2 o'clock on Saturday afternoon to attend deceased. The boy was dead "when he arrived, and he made an examination. \ Artificial respiration was resorted to, but without success. There were a few slight scratches on the left side of the face. Otherwise the head was uninjured. There was also a contusion on each knee. Besides, these;, the skin on ,the body was unbroken. No limbs were broken. He found a bruise, eight or nine inches wide right across the body. On pressure he fotind the abdomett was ruptured, 1 and Signs of a heavy internal hemorrhagOj which waS evidently the cause of deajh. Dr. Tweed then arrived, and they Came to the conclusion that the back was practically broken. • By the* police: The wounds were consistent with the body being run over by a motor lorry. The wheel, must have gone over the abdomen. Ormond Haxton, driver for Feast and Co., stated that on Saturday afternoon he had occasion to go to Richmond Road in a■, Ford motor, lorry. When he came out from lunch his son and the deceased were playing round the lorry. His boy, Jack, was going to accompany him up town. He saw young Croad run behind the lorry, and he thought up a - grass lane, He backed the lorry down the'lansf* town. When he got on to the road he saw the boy fifty or sixty yards in j front of him, going in the direction of town. Ho asked his- boy if he knew where Harry was going, and. he said up town. When he got alongside the boy he. called out to him to wait a „minute, and he would give him a ride. Before ho knew anything the boy attempted to get on the step. He appeared to lose his hold of the side of tho cab and to fall backwards. He felt a slight bump directly afterwards, and pulled up. When ho alighted and got to the back of the lorry the boy was walking across the road. He lilted him up, and asked where he was hurt. The boy placed his hand on his stomach and said "here." After carrying the boy a few yards, his arm became limp, and he asked him. if he had any pain elsewhere, and he said no. He carried the boy into-his own home, and went for the doctor. The boy was losing conscienceness when ho left. By Mr. Trapp: He could not have been travelling over three miles an. hour whon the accident occurred, as ho was pulling up. The boy "tried to jump on before he stopped.. He had no boots on? and must havo slipped and fallen backwards. . ■ ' By'the police: When he saw the boy falling, he applied the hand and foot brakes.' The back wheel went over the body. , He could .not have gone more than twelve feet. The brake's were in good working order. By the foreman: Ho thought the boy fell right clear of the lorry, but ho must have swung round. The-boy tried to get up on the opposite side of the vehicle to which he (the witness) was" sitting. John Haxton, the elevenyetfr-old son of the previous witness, said'he heard his father tell young Croad that he would give him a ride. The boy attempted to jump up, but slipped, and his father pulled up the lorry as soon as he could. Ho looked out after the boy fell, and saw him roll under the wheel. He saw his father pick the boy up, and he rushed away for some water. ! Ernest A. Croad, father of the deceased, said he was employed at the Waingawa freezing works, and resided in Richmond Road. The deceased was eight years of age. The-boy was dead when he arrived home. This concluded the evidence., The jury, after a short retirement, brought in a verdict that deceased met his death by misadventure, no blame being attachable to anyone;