BOY’S DEATH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 May 1939, Page 6

BOY’S DEATH

FATALITY AT TE ORE ORE PROCEEDINGS AT RESUMED INQUEST. VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH. The inquest concerning the death of a six-year-old cyclist, lan Hopkirk, of Te Ore Ore, who was fatally injured as the result of a collision with a 15cwt motor truck at Te Ore Ore on May 5 was resumed before the District Coroner, Mr E. G. Eton, this morning. The accident occurred at the junction of the Bideford and Tinui roads. Mr H. H. Daniell appeared on behalf of Messrs C. E. Daniell Ltd, owners of the truck and also on behalf of the driver, Mr C. J- Braggins. Senior-Sergt G. A. Doggett conducted the police proceedings. . Constable Bach gave evidence as to proceeding to the scene after the accident and taking measurements and photographs of the locality. Witness said he formed the opinion that the truck must have been travelling at a speed of about thirty miles pe,r hour. He judged that speed from the brake marks showing on the road. He concluded that the boy was coming out of the Bideford Road to the junction and saw the truck approaching from Masterton. To witness’s mind the boy thought the truck was going to travel along the Bideford Road and apparently kept well over to his left, being off the bitumen surface and on the gravel. The boy then must have noticed that the truck was taking the road to Castlepoint and was unable to stop in time to avoid a collision with the truck. Across the gravel on to the Castlepoint Road there wa"s a slight down grade in the direction in which the boy was \ proceeding, which would make it harder for a cyclist to turn. In witness’s opinion, the boy was struck at the point at which the truck .commenced to make a right hand swerve. He considered the visibility to be good. Senior-Sergt Doggett: “Was there any evidence of excessive speed?”— Constable Bach: “No.” “Or any evidence of faulty handling of the vehicle?" —“No.” Kenneth Malcolm Hopkirk, ten years of age, brother of the victim of the accident,' said he lived ai Te Ore Ore, about 31 miles from the Lansdowne School, which he attended. The practice had been for him to ride to school with his brother. Each had his own bicycle. On the day of the accident he left home at about 8.3 D a.m. in company with his brother. They rode abreast for a while but nearing the junction his brother'was some distance ahead of him. His brother was riding on the extreme left of the road. Wit- ■ ness said <he himself did not see the ; truck approaching. He had been look- ■ ing over towards the Te Ore Ore ■ School and all of a sudden heard a ! crash. ~ . ‘ Dr J. C. Forsyth gave evidence as to > .the injuries suffered by lan Hopkirk, 1 who did not regain consciousness, his condition becoming .gradually W-Orse. The injuries were consistent with nis >head having been struck violently by a .moving object such as a motor vehicle. The cause of death, in witness s opinion, was laceration of the brain associated with an extensive fracture of the base of the skull on the right side. The case was hopeless from the beginning. , , 1 The driver of the truck, Chai les : James Braggins, outside foreman em- ' ployed by Messrs C. E. Daniell Ltd, said he was driving the truck along the Masterton-Castlepoint Road on the | morning of May 5 last. He was accom- ( panied by Cecil Sutherland. The vehicle he was driving was a 15cwt i truck. He did not notice any other 1 traffic approaching the junction other i than the bicycles. There were three or 1 four bicycles in view. The road seemed to be clear as far as he could see and the position did not reveal any danger. The outside boy seemed to become uneas ,r as he struck the shingle and appeared to get off his balance for a moment. All of a sudden the boy seemed to take a turn to his left. When the boy turned to the left he would be about 12 to 15 feet from him. As soon as the boy turned to the left, witness ■ said he himself swerved to the right in I an effort to avoid him. Witness said . he believed he was on the wrong side i of the Masterton-Tinui Road when the ’ collision occurred. He had never been involved in an accident before and con- . sidered he -had done everything possible under the circumstances to avoid . a collision. He travelled from Masterton at a speed of from 30 to 35 miles per hour, and slackened speed on approaching the intersection, as he knew the corner to be not a good one. lhe truck was in good order and had been examined ,by a traffic inspector. . Mr Eton: “What is your opinion about that particular corner?;— Witness: “Coming from Masterton it is all right but coming from Bideford the view is not so good.” Cecil Sutherland, who was accompanying Braggins in the truck, gave 1 more or less corroborative evidence. The truck was not travelling at more ' than 25 to 30 miles per hour when the brakes were first applied. It appeared : to witness as if the boy tried to ride : across in front of the truck. He con- ' sidered Mr Braggins to be a competent ’ Murray James Wilton, of Rangitu- ' mau, who arrived at the scene of the 1 accident just after it had occurred, 1 gave evidence as to conveying the injured boy to the Masterton Hospital 1 in his car. He did not see the collision. The Coroner returned a verdict of accidental death. Mr Eton expressed ' the deep sympathy of the Court to the parents. He did not wish to make any comment as to who was to blame, if there were anyone to blame. The duty ’ of the Court was to find out the cause of death. The evidence by witnesses had been very clearly given. Mr Daniell said a nWirby resident I had suggested that the corner in question should be marked in a similar fashion to that at the junction of Opaki and Te Oro Ore roads. IHe would like to draw the . attention of the County Council to the ’ possible need of similar traffic markings at the Bidcford-Tinui road intersection.

Mr Eton said the authorities no doubt would look into the matter.