CONTRIBUTING FACTOR

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20990, 18 December 1939, Page 3

CONTRIBUTING FACTOR

LIQUOR AT WEDDING MOTORING FATALITY (Special to Times) GISBORNE, Saturday Observing that the liquor the de ceased had consumed at a weddin, was a contributing factor to th cause of the accident the jury re turned a verdict to-day in the Gis borne Coroner’s Court that Williair James Evans, aged 31, surfaceman died at Otoko yesterday morning a* the result of injuries received in a motor accident on the GisbomeOpotiki highway. Dr. Harold Angell said he considered that, death would have been practically instantaneous. There were no indications that the deceased had been drinking prior to his death. The wife of the deceased, Mary Evans, said she and hgr husband attended a wedding in Te Karaka. They stayed at the wedding until 11.30 p'm., during which time her husband had some liquor. When she was ready to go home she found that her husband was not in a fit state to drive and a friend drove them to Otoko in their car. Although witness tried to persuade him against it her husband reutrned to Te Karaka an hour later, getting the bey of the key of the car on the pretext that he was going to put the vehicle in a shed. That was the last time she had seen him alive. When he left Otoko his condition was much improved and witness thought he was in a fit state to drive.