DEATHS.
IKIN. — On October 28th, 1932, at Dunedin (result of accident), Stuart Allan, dearly loved elder son of Samuel and Margaret Ikin, 6 Orbell street, Dalmore, N.E.V.; aged 16 years. Deeply mourned. — Private interment from our chapel, 219 George street, on Monday, the 31st inst., at 11 a.m., for the Anderson’s Bay Cemetery.
— R. McLean and Son, undertakers. -Evening Star, 29/10/1932.
FATAL CYCLE ACCIDENT
INQUEST ON VICTIM
RECKLESS CYCLISTS WARNED
The adjourned inquest on the body of Stewart Allan Ikin, who received severe injuries on October 28 as the result of a cycle accident at the corner of York place and Smith street, and died in Hospital shortly afterwards, was concluded at the Courthouse yesterday. Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., sitting as coroner. Sergeant Vaughan represented the police.
Edward Henry Kibblewhite Watson, a pupil at King Edward Technical College, stated that at 12.25 p.m. on October 28 he cycled down Stuart street and into Smith street in company with the boy Ikin. Ikin was about two yards behind witness. About 40 feet from the intersection of Smith street and York place witness saw some girls going down York place on the right-hand side, about the centre of the intersection. Witness sounded the horn of his cycle, and the girls stopped, but one of them hesitated and then ran on in front of the others, who stood still. Witness applied his brakes, and swerved to the left, just avoiding colliding with her. After he passed the girls he turned round to see how Ikin had got on and found that he had collided with the girl. The girl was knocked down, and the deceased fell over the handle bars, landing in the channel about nine feet from the place of the collision. The deceased must have cut the corner. Witness and the deceased would be travelling about 20 miles an hour. There was some loose gravel at the corner. Witness lifted the deceased up, but he did not speak, and both Ikin and the girl were then taken to the Hospital. After the accident witness examined the brakes on the deceased’s bicycle and found them to be in good order.
Bertha Annie Singleton, a pupil at the Technical College, said that she and some other girls were running across the intersection when she heard some one call out “look out.” She then heard a bicycle horn sounded, and on looking round she saw Watson and Ikin coming down the hill. They all stopped excepting Molly Turner, who said that she was in a hurry to catch a tram and that she could get across. Witness caught hold of her dress, but she pulled away and ran on. Watson passed between witness and Molly Turner, who appeared to have one foot on the edge of the kerbing when Ikin cut in to the corner. The front wheel of his cycle ’’ appeared to strike one of her boots, with the result that she was thrown forward, and her head struck a telegraph pole on the corner, the deceased being thrown from his cycle. Witness had previously seen the deceased at that spot, and he appeared to make a practice of cutting the corner. He was travelling fast when the accident occurred.
After traversing the evidence, the coroner found that the death was due to head injuries caused by the deceased's , being accidentally thrown from his cycle at the corner of Smith street and York place on October 28.
The coroner added that he considered it proper in this case to refer to the dangerous practice of boys cycling at a dangerous speed down streets having a steep grade. It must be apparent to anyone in the locality of certain schools on the hill that very dangerous practices were adopted by pupils riding down hills at a dangerous speed, and the present fatal accident exemplified the danger of these practices. Stuart street, Smith street, and York place were all dangerous streets for cycling at any speed. It was only his duty to call the attention of children generally, and those responsible for them to this fact, so that steps might be taken to impress on the children the absolute folly and danger of riding down such streets at a high speed. -Otago Daily Times, 26/11/1932.
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