INQUEST AT ROTORUA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 February 1939, Page 9

INQUEST AT ROTORUA

TRAFFIC INSPECTOR’S fEATH.

VERDICT OF ACCIDENT: (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ROTORUA, February 9. Remarking that though there was a conflict of evidence between the driver of the lorry and the only other eyewitness of the accident, it appeared that nothing could have saved the victim, the coroner, Mr A. J. Tong, today returned a verdict of accidental death at the conclusion of the adjourned inquest into the circumstances of the death of Thomas Arthur Allcock, main highways traffic inspector, Rotorua district, who died on the evening of December 24 following injuries received when he was struck by :a motor-lorry while on duty on the Rotorua-Ngongo-taha main highway.

Medical evidence showed that the left side of Allcock’s chest was severely crushed, causing lung and chest injuries from which he died. Most of the morning was taken up with the evidence of Frank Leslie Pai*k, Public Works engineer. Park said that his attention was first attracted by the sight of a torch being waved, and as he approached closer he recognised Allcock, standing beside his car, which was parked on the side of the road with the parking lights and tail light burning. Allcock was apparently regulating traffic with the torch. Park said that he was travelling at about 30 miles an hour when he first saw the torch and slowed down to 25. Allcock would be about three feet out from the side of the car when he saw him. When witness was about 50 feet distant, he saw the lights of a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction emerge from the rear of Allcock’s car. Allcock appeared to be startled and turned his head and shoulders as though to see what was approaching. At the same time he appeared to take an involuntary step He was already in the path of the oncoming vehicle and the step put him, further in its path. The vehicle, which proved to be a lorry, struck Allcock, carrying him about 46 feet. Allcock appeared to fall between the wheels of the lorry, which passed astride over him. The lorry was not travelling more than 25 miles an hour and pulled up quickly.

Witness said that he saw Allcock approximately six seconds before the accident took place and he thought that had the driver of the lorry been keeping a proper lookout he should have seen the inspector about the same time beforehand. The chief witness in the afternoon was Frederick William McLean, driver of the lorry, who said that he saw the parked car when some distance back. He pulled out to pass it, allowing about three feet clearance, when suddenly a man appeared and walked out in front of him at an angle to the parked car. He had no time to avoid an accident, his lorry striking Allcock, who appeared to fall between the wheels. The impact would be on the right-hand side of his vehicle and Allcock appeared to him to have travelled six or seven feet out toward the centre of the road. He had his back toward witness and did not appear to see him. Witness pulled up immediately and picked up the injured man. Witness admitted that one of his lights was not as good as the other because of a defective bulb, but contended that the lights were nevertheless quite good and that his visibility was not impaired.