CROSSING FATALITY

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20989, 16 December 1939, Page 8

CROSSING FATALITY

LORRY DRIVER’S DEATH EVIDENCE OF TRAIN CREW (Special to Times) MORRINSVILLE, Friday The Coroner, Mr G. Hedge, held an inquest at the Morrinsville Courthouse, into the death of Samuel Thompson, of Waihou. The verdict was that he died on November 21 as the result of injuries received in a collision between the lorry he was driving and a train at the Piako level crossing. Constable McMullin conducted the inquest. Mr Bums (Te Aroha) watched proceedings for the relatives and Mr N. S. Barrett represented Mr F- J. Smethurst, employer of Thompson. Dr. G. Craig stated that deceased was unconscious when admitted to a private hospital. He had received a fracture at the base of the skull and died an hour after admission. Francis William Robertson, enginedriver, stated that the train left Mo> rinsville for Tatuanui at 9.6 a.m. on November 21. When approaching the crossing witness sounded the whistle. The engine would be about 250 yards from the crossing. When close to the crossing the fireman called to him to stop. He applied the emergency brake and sound the whistle again. The engine hit the lorry, which was carried about 40 yards along the line. When the train stopped the lorry was still on the point of the engine, and deceased was lying on the track about ten yards back. Leonard* Alexander Fergusson, shunter and acting guard, said he travelled on the engine as there was no guard’s van. He noticed a lorry about six feet from the line. It appeared to be travelling fast. The lorry was struck about the driver's seat. He did not think deceased saw the train until he was very close to the crossing. The lorry driver should have been able to have seen the train about 150 yards back.