ARMY LORRY TRAGEDY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 December 1938, Page 8

ARMY LORRY TRAGEDY

DEATHS OF ARTILLERYMEN

INQUEST AT TAIHAPE DRIVER GIVES EVIDENCE. POSSIBLE CAUSES OF ACCIDENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) TAIHAPE, This Day. An inquest of the victims of the Hihitahi Bridge tragedy—B. W. Colwell, A. W. Davidson, L. J. Bourke and A. T. Moore—who lost their lives at midnight on November 19, when an Army lorry returning to Waiouru with fifteen artillerymen crashed into the river when crossing the bridge spanning the Hautapa stream, was resumed before the Coroner, Mr E. Loader, at Taihape today. Four men lost their lives and seven were injured in the crash. Dr. N. A. Foden, of the Crown Law Office, Wellington, appeared for the police, and associated with him were Inspector J. Lander (Wanganui) and Sergeant J. M. Mcßae (Taihape). Mr R. C. Ongley appeared for Hobson, the driver of the lorry. Dr. H. M. Hay (Taihape) said B. W. Colwell and L. J. Bourke died from drowning. Colwell had slight lacerated wounds about the head. Davidson was pinned under the lorry lying across his left side. Death was due to a crushed thorax. Moore had severe lacerations of the left side of the skull and haemorrhage from the nose, ears and eyes. He was unconscious and remained so till his death 24 hours later. Death was due to a fracture at the base of the skull. ' Alan Thomas Hobson, driver of the lorry, Narrow Neck, Auckland, said he recollected the evening of the accident. He had been driving for six months. He arrived in Taihape at 4.15 p.m. The lorry was easy to drive. This was the first time he had driven it, but he had driven the same make of lorry. LanceBombardier Aulridgc was in charge ol the party. Hobson said he had no drinks in Taihape on the day of the fatality. He had been given instructions not to' drink. He left Taihape at 11.15 to return. Aulridge and Auty were in front with him. A light rain was falling when he left Taihape. Visibility was not difficult. The other men were in the back of the lorry. There was nothing to interfere with his driving or controls. He reached the point of the road leading to the bridge without mishap. As soon as he saw the bridge he changed to low gear and -reduced speed. He had his foot on the brake and approached the bridge at 15 miles per hour. He was not surprised to see the bridge. There was nothing wrong with the bridge in the way of obstruction. He got on to the bridge squarely as far as he was aware. The lorry did not touch the bridge, which seemed to collapse all round as he got on to it. The next thing he knew he was in the river. There was no sound of an impact. He did not feel the wheels come into contact with the side of Die bridge. He had received no specific instructions regarding speed. The, standing regulations prescribed 20 miles an hour. Nobody distracted his attention when he was approaching the bridge and there was nothing wrong with his vision. ■ , To Mr R. C. Ongley, his counsel, he said he had been over the road only when he came to Taihape. It was windy. To Dr Foden: He did not feel the wheels of the lorry leave the metal part of the road. L. J. Auty stated in evidence that he was sitting in the front of the lorry at the time of the accident. He considered that Gunner Hobson was a good driver, who approached corners with caution. The lorry was holding the road well. The lorry entered the bridge squarely. He was wide awake. He did not feel the right side of the lorry touch the side of the bridge. They entered the bridge on the usual track. The bridge seemed to give way when the whole oi the lorry got on to it. It was raining slightly when they approached the bridge. This did not impair visibility. He could say definitely that the lorrj did not touch the bridge. Everything happened so quickly that it was possible he could not remember all the details.

To Mr Ongley: He did not know the width of the bridge, but there was ample room to pass over. The vehicle did not veer over to the right. To the Coroner: They approached the bridge at 15 miles per hour. Lance-Bombadier Aueridge said he was in charge of the party. Some members of the party had had some drinks. He had had a few. They were not prohibited from drinking. He felt quite at ease with Hobson driving. One mar: missed the lorry. He sat in the front seat of the lorry. There was very little talking. Visibility was quite good. The lorry seemed to be on the metal approaching the bridge. Gunner Hobson changed gear approaching the bridge. He did not feel any impact prior tc the lorry going into the stream. Hi: recollection of what happened ceased before the whole vehicle got on to the bridge. The full length of the bridge was lit up by the lights. He had no feeling of impending disaster. He was certain he felt no decided impact before he found himself in the river. To Mr Ongley, he saw marks on the bridge/ and approach to the structure. He was not prepared to say there were lorry marks. In answer to another question, witness said he was certain Hobson had no drink on the day of the accident. Samuel Freemen, carrier, Karioi, said he arrived on the scene of the accident about midnight. He noticed as he approached the bridge that it had collapsed. He saw a lorry in the river. He saw impressions of round grip tyre marks on the side of the road, off the metal. These marks corresponded with the tyres of the lorry. The marks were just barely off, possibly only a foot ofi the metal. He noticed that there was a dual mark off the metal. He deducec from the marks that it was impossible for the lorry to get on the bridge without striking it. His observations were made soon after the accident and led hi mto believe that some part of the lorry struck an end strut. There were two men in the cab ot the lorry when he arrived. They seemed to be dazed by the shock. John McDonald, Rangitikei County Overseer, arrived about 1 a.m. on the scene of the accident. He thought from the tyre marks that the lorry had come in contact with the bridge. If the end strut were broken, the bridge would collapse. Wallace Sturgeon, carrier and contractor, living at Hihitahi, near the bridge, said he arrived soon after the tragedy. On the same day as the accident he took a heavy load over the bridge of about. Gi tons, at about 5.30 p.m. He did not hear the bridge break. He thought the bridge sound in every

sense of the world. To the Coroner: Sometimes I go over the bridge three or four times a day. There was no sign of a knock on the truss. (Proceeding.