LITTLE GIRL KILLED
ACCIDENT NEAR SCHOOL.
Dominion Special Service. Dunedin, July 1.
A distressing accident occurred just outside the Kensington School this afternoon about 2 o’clock, when a little girl, Lila Jones, aged eight years, was knocked down and killed. Mr. Gardiner, of Green Island, was driving his motor lorry south along Bridgman Street, when the girl ran out from behind a lorry which was standing by the footpath. The wheel of Mr. Gardiner’s lorry went right over the girl. As the second lorry was standing right in front of the gate, Mr. Gardiner had a very obscured view. The girl lived at 11 Waverley Street. An inquest will be held. -Dominion, 2/7/1927.
A DANGER SPOT
KENSINGTON SCHOOL CORNER INQUEST
FRIDAY'S FATALITY CONCLUDED
DRIVER HELD BLAMELESS
At the conclusion of the inquest held to-day into the circumstances of the death of Lila Jones, the seven-year-old girl who was killed under such tragic circumstances in Bridgman street on Friday afternoon, Mr A. H. Williamson (head master of the Kensington School) and Mr C. E. Hunt (chairman of the School Committee) drew the coroner’s attention to the dangers of Bridgman street, owing to the narrowness of the thoroughfare and the amount of motor traffic, and made several suggestions that the coroner (Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) promised to pass on to the City Council. Mr Williamson said the pupils of the Kensington School had frequently been warned, but notwithstanding this there had been three accidents within the past seventeen days. The coroner said that many people persisted in crossing streets at other than intersections. This was an extremely dangerous practice.
Sergeant Lennon conducted the proceedings and Mr W. R. Brugh appeared for the driver of the motor lorry, George Miller Gardiner.
Dr Fergus said that on Friday last he was called to the Kensington School, where he saw deceased. He examined the body and found that the child had suffered from a fractured skull and a fractured spine. Death, in his opinion, would be instantaneous.
Henry Patrick Fogarty, a motor driver, said on Friday he was driving a lorry along Bridgman street towards the city. When near the Drill Hall he noticed Harraway’s big lorry going in the same direction About 20yds the South Dunedin side of the school gates his attention was drawn to a motor lorry coming towards him at a very slow pace, witness estimating the speed at ten miles an hour. He noticed a child clear the off-side front wheel of the lorry, and then she was struck by the front near-side wheel, which appeared to pass over her head. Witness stopped his lorry, the other lorry also being brought to a standstill. He heard someone call out, “Go backwards or forwards.” The back off-side wheel was resting on the child’s neck, and the driver reversed, and the body was released. The child was running towards the railway embankment from the footpath when she was struck. The driver pulled up within his own length, and witness thought he should be commended for the way in which he brought the vehicle to a standstill.
Andrew Gibb, a fireman, said he was walking along Bridgman street on Friday afternoon accompanied by his wife and child. He noticed a girl rush from the footpath towards the railway embankment. When she was almost over, a motor van struck her and knocked her down, the front wheel passing over her body. Witness rushed over and asked the driver to back the lorry, as he was not sure whether the back wheel was on her or not. Witness considered that the van was travelling at between ten and twelve miles an hour, the driver going very carefully. There was another lorry on the road, but he did not take very much notice of it.
George Miller Gardiner, storekeeper, Green Island, said that at about 2 p.m. on Friday he was driving a three-quarter-ton truck along Bridgman street, and when opposite the Kensington School gates he passed Harraway’s motor lorry, which was coming towards the city. It was fully loaded with sacks of flour. As he passed the rear of the lorry a little girl ran out from behind the lorry from the direction of the school gates. He immediately put on the brakes. He estimated his speed at between ten and fifteen miles an hour. He was well over on his left side. The road was very narrow where the accident occurred, and there was no possibility of avoiding the child.
Constable McRobie detailed seeing the body of deceased in the school.
Mr Williamson said he wished to draw the coroner’s attention to what the school committee had done during the past two or three years regarding this danger spot. Signs had been erected drawing motorists’ attention to the school, and some time ago the committee offered to give a small corner of the school grounds abutting on Grosvenor street to the City Council in order that there should he a better view. That was done, and the committee then considered the erection of barricades inside the school gates, it being understood that the council would not allow them to be erected outside. The teachers had frequently drawn the children’s attention to the dangers of crossing the street. There had been no accidents for the three years he could speak of until a short time ago, when, curiously enough, there had been three accidents within seventeen days. On June 14 a small boy was knocked down by a motor car in Grosvenor street. He was not seriously injured - in fact, he was able to get up immediately. The attention of the children was drawn to the accident, and it was pointed out how fortunate the boy had been in being able to escape injury. On Wednesday, June 22, a lady called to see him, and asked whether a boy had reported that he had nearly been knocked over by her car. The boy ran across Bridgman street almost exactly in the same spot as the little girl was killed on Friday, and the driver of the car, in trying to avoid him, almost collided with two other cars. He punished the boy, and again warned the school about the dangers of motor traffic.
The deceased, he explained, had received notice to go to the Dental School, and came out of school at six minutes to 2, but she waited to see her sister. She must have imagined that she was late when she heard the bell ring, and had rushed hurriedly across the street. He explained that opposite the school was a plantation of shrubs, which were big enough to hide the children, and he thought they should be taken out. The danger had been increased since the surface of the road had been improved.
Mr Hunt stated that the road was a very busy one, and on Saturday afternoon after the football match he counted 10o cars in a quarter of an hour. He suggested that the footpath should be completed. In his opinion motorists should he competed to go in single file along the road, as sometimes he noticed cars trying to pass each other.
The Coroner said the evidence in this distressing fatality showed that Gardiner passed a fully-loaded lorry going in the opposite direction, and the child had rushed out from behind. There was no negligence on the part of the driver, who had shown every possible care. Every sympathy must be extended to the relatives of the deceased, and also to the driver of the lorry. He returned a verdict to the effect that deceased died from a fractured skull received by being accidentally knocked down by a motor lorry. The Coroner added that he was pleased to have Mr Williamson’s assurance that the children attending the school had received strict instructions about crossing the road. It was unfortunate that children, and adults, as well, persisted in crossing streets at other than intersections. The practice was increasingly dangerous. He would write to the City Council drawing attention to the shrubs and the footpath. -Evening Star, 4/7/1927.
Deaths
JONES. — On July 1, 1927, at Dunedin, Lila Veronica, dearly beloved youngest daughter of William and Johanna Jones, of 11 Waverley street, Dunedin South; aged seven years. Deeply mourned. R.I.P. — The Funeral will leave her parents’ residence, 11 Waverley street, Dunedin South, To-morrow (Sunday), July 3. at 2 p.m., for the Southern Catholic Cemetery. — W. H. Cole, undertaker. -Otago Daily Times, 2/7/1927.
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