STRUCK BY LORRY

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20727, 10 February 1939, Page 7

STRUCK BY LORRY

INSPECTOR’S DEATH MAIN HIGHWAY ACCIDENT EVIDENCE OF EYE-WITNESS (By Telegraph.—Press Association) ROTORUA, Thursday The inquest was resumed this morning before Mr A. J. Tong, coroner, into tne circumstances of the death of Thomas Arthur Allcock, main h:'tghways traffic inspector in the Rotorua district, who suffered fatal injuries on Christmas Eve when he was struck by a lorry on the Ro-torua-Xgongotaha main highway while regulating traffic. Most of the morning was occupied with the evidence of Frank Leslie Park, public works engineer, who was an eye-witness of the accident. Park said that his attention was first attracted by the light of a torch being waved and as he approached he perceived Inspector Allcock, whom he recognised, standing beside his car, which was parked at the side of the road. When he was about 50 feet distant he saw a lorry emerge from the rear of Allcock’s car. The inspector appeared to turn his head and shoulders as though startled by the lorry and seemed involuntarily to step outwards. In Path of Vehicle He would be in the path of the lorry wiien witness first saw him and a step would bring him further into its path. He was struck by the front of the lorry and carried 46 l'» , et. The lorry appeared to have pat astride over his body. It was not travelling faster than 25 miles an hour and pulled up quickly. After the accident its lights appeared to be dim. Witness considered that approximately six seconds elapsed between the time he first saw the torch and the impact. He considered the driver of the lorry should have been able to perceive the light for approximately the same distance. The traffic was very heavy on the road at the time and the inspector appeared to be waving the light with the object of steadying it down. Witness himself was travelling at 30 miles an hour when he first saw the light and slowed to about 25 miles. Medical evidence given by Dr. W. S. Wallis was to the effect that the whole of the left side of deceased’s chest was crushed, causing death. Walked In Front The driver of the truck, Frederick William McLean, a labourer, of Oropi, stated that he noticed the parked car when some distance back along the road, and when he approached he pulled out to give the car about 3ft clearance, when suddenly a man appeared and walked out in front of the truck at an angle to the parked car. Witness had had no time to avoid an accident, the truck striking the inspector, who seemed to fall underneath between the wheels. He thought that the right-hand side of the truck struck Mr Allcock, who appeared to travel 6ft or 7ft out to the centre of the road with his back toward the truck, which he did not appear to see. The coroner, in returning his verdict, stated that, although there appeared to be a conflict of evidence between the driver of the truck and the Public Works Department engineer who was the only other eye-witness, it appeared from the evidence that nothing could have saved the victim, and the verdict would, therefore, be one of accidental death.