Shirley Janet Campbell, (1929-16/12/1935). "tried to avoid her"

CHILD FATALLY INJURED. 

STRUCK BY A LORRY. 

CHRISTCHHURCH, December 16. 

Shirley Janet Campbell, aged five, only daughter of Mr and Mrs J. Campbell, the well-known racehorse trainers, was fatally injured when she ran out in front of a lorry at Sockburn late this afternoon. She was taken to Lewisham Hospital, but died shortly after from injuries to her head.  -Ashburton Guardian, 17/12/1935.

DEATHS.

CAMPBELL — On December 16th, 1935, at Christchurch, Shirley Janet, dearly loved daughter of James and Laurel Campbell, 21 Epsom road, Riccarton; aged six years. (Result of accident.)  -Press, 17/12/1935.

DEATH OF SMALL GIRL

VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH 

That death was due to inter-cranial haemorrhage sustained through being struck by a motor-lorry driven by Norman Fairburn was the verdict returned by the coroner, Mr E. C. Levvey, in an inquest into the death of Shirley Janet Campbell, a child aged six years, who died in the Christchurch Public Hospital on Monday, December 16, about 5 p.m. The coroner also added that from the evidence there was nothing to show that the driver of the lorry had been negligent. 

Mr Alan Brassington appeared for the father of the child. 

Dr Frederick William Helmore said that he had first seen the child at the home of her father in Epsom load, Sockburn, and she had then been deeply unconscious. She had been removed to the Public Hospital, and had there died from her injuries. On examination he found that she had a fractured base of the skull, abrasions on the forehead, and a bruised left leg. 

Norman Fairburn, the driver of the motor-lorry, said that he was driving along Epsom road about 20 miles an hour. Opposite Campbell's gate he had noticed a bicycle lying in the middle of the road. He had moved further over to the left of the bitumen to avoid the bicycle. He had first seen the child just before the collision, and although he had tried to avoid her his bumper bar hit the child, and the lorry passed over her. 

In answer to Mr Brassington, he said he had been driving a lorry for the last four and a half years, and that the brakes of the vehicle were tested and in good order. He had first seen the bicycle on the middle of the road when about 100 yards away. 

Both Horace Peter Samuel McGregor and George Moore, who were passengers with Fairburn in the lorry at the time of the accident, gave corroborative evidence. 

A schoolboy aged 10 years and a schoolgirl aged eight years both gave evidence of the girl’s movements before the occurrence of the accident. It was stated that both girls had been riding bicycles, and the older one, the witness, had fallen off. Shirley had run to her assistance, leaving her machine in the centre of the road. She had then started to run back to pick up the bicycle, and apparently had not noticed the approaching vehicle. The boy said that in his opinion the driver could not have avoided the collision. 

Constable John Southworlh gave evidence that he had visited the scene of the accident shortly afterwards. He had examined the road for the marks left by the tyres of the lorry, but he could not see these at all clearly.  -Press, 7/1/1936.

St Peters Churchyard, Christchurch.