FILLINGHAM. — On February 10, 1928, at Dunedin Hospital (the result of an accident), Laurence R. Fillingham, son of Mrs Pepper, Ravensbourne; aged 25 years. Deeply mourned. — Hope and Kinaston, undertakers. -Otago Daily Times, 18/2/1928.
MOTOR CYCLIST’S DEATH
INQUEST ON LAURENCE FILLINGHAM
This morning the inquest was continued in regard to the death of Laurence Fillingham, who died in the Public Hospital on February 16 as the result of his crashing into an ice cream van, which was crossing the Highway from Hanover street at about 7.45 that morning. The inquest was adjourned from February 17 pending further inquiries by the police. The coroner was Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., and Sergeant Gilligan represented the police.
Evidence was given by Constable Andrew D. Buchanan, who stated that he visited the scene of the accident about five hours afterwards, and with the assistance of one of the eyewitnesses (Mr Barton, jnr) he sketched out a plan of the locality.
George William Brown, motor driver, employed by the Dunedin Ice Cream Company, stated that on the morning of the 16th he was driving one of his company’s vans across the Main Highway along Hanover street after coming from Ward street. He was travelling in second gear at about five to six miles per hour. His view was obscured, and although he heard the noise of a cycle he did not see it until the van was half on the Highway. There was a tin fence at the left hand side of the road, and a concrete wall near the corner on the right. He saw two motor cycles about 100yds away coming towards town. One was travelling behind the other, about a chain apart. Witness stopped when he saw them coming, The leading rider (deceased) was on his wrong side of the road, and the second man was on the crown of the road. Witness thought he would let deceased go on that way. The riders were going at a very high rate of speed, but the back one seemed to be pulling up. He estimated the speed at between fifty and sixty miles per hour. The front cycle, ridden by deceased, swerved over to its correct side, apparently to try and pass behind the van. Witness was in second gear, so he speeded up to get across and give him room to get past. The rider apparently changed his mind and attempted to pass in front, and the next thing witness knew was that the bump had taken place, the vehicle being then about 2yds from the southwest corner of the intersection, as measured by the front wheel. The van was still moving when the cycle struck it. Feeling the bump witness stopped. He got out of the van and saw deceased lying on the ground on top of his machine. He was unconscious, and with the assistance of others present witness put him in the van and conveyed him to the hospital.
Walter Rawlinson Spratt, motor body builder, of Ravensbourne, said he knew deceased and occasionally rode with him. On the morning of the 16th he was proceeding to work by cycle, and he first saw deceased when he passed him at about Logan Point Quarry, and when they approached the Exhibition site he was about 100yds ahead. Deceased bent down over his machine apparently to try and adjust his boot or possibly his engine, and a that time slowed down to such an extent that witness passed him and proceeded up the Highway at about twenty-five miles per hour until about 400yds from the Hanover street crossing. Then deceased passed him. Witness thought he was travelling at about forty-five to fifty miles per hour on his wrong side. Witness was a little to the left of the crown of the road. Deceased rose from his saddle and put on the brake about 70yds or 100yds from the crossing. The van was at that time coming on to the Highway. Nearly every morning the riders met the ice cream vans coming up Hanover street, and they usually turned into the Highway and went south to St. Andrew street. Deceased kept on his wrong side apparently to pass the van on the right hand side as it turned down the Highway (as he possibly expected it to do). Witncss was nearly up to the crossing when he saw the van coming across. Deceased swerved to his correct side, seemingly thinking that as the van was going across he could get round the back of it. Then he went back to the centre of the road and went straight for the van, striking the right hand back wheel. He could not tell the speed at which the van was travelling. The inquest was adjourned until this afternoon. -Evening Star, 24/2/1928.
MOTOR CYCLE FATALITY (excerpt)
The Coroner said that all the evidence showed that the ice-cream van driver was driving carefully. It was apparent that when the deceased caught sight of the van he had no possibility of avoiding an vehicle crossing the intersection. There was one reason, and one reason only, for the accident, and that was the high speed at which Fillingham was riding his cycle, and the verdict would be that the deceased died at the Hospital from his injuries caused by being accidentally thrown from his motor cycle on the Highway. No possible blame could be attached to the driver of the ice-cream van. In a case of this nature, when a driver was in the most unfortunate position that an accident occurred and a man was killed the driver deserved every sympathy, and he (the coroner) was sorry for him as well as for the relatives of the deceased. -Otago Witness, 28/2/1928.
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