YOUNG MAN KILLED.
GORE, This Day. Mr Powell Christie, aged 23, of Mataura, died in the hospital as the result of being knocked off a cycle by a car on the Gore-Mataura Road. He was to have been married next week. -Ashburton Guardian, 15/8/1932.
DEATHS
CHRISTIE — At Gore, on Sunday, August 14, 1932 (the result of an accident), Powell, “Jock,” of Mataura, and only son of the late James and Margaret Christie, Puketiro, Catlins; in his 23rd year. The friends of the late Powell Christie are respectfully invited to attend his funeral which will leave the residence of Mr William Richmond, Dorset Street, Mataura, on Tuesday, August 16, at 1.30 p.m., for the Mataura Cemetery. — C. S. Rose, Undertaker. -Southland Times, 16/8/1832.
MATAURA NEWS
The unfortunate motor accident in the early hours of Saturday morning resulting in the death of Mr Powell Christie has cast quite a gloom over this town where he was well and favourably known. For some years he had been on the staff of the local dairy factory and pending the opening of the season usually obtained work farming and it was while returning to his place of employment that he met with the accident that resulted in his death. The deceased was a keen oddfellow and at the time of his death occupied the position of Vice Grand in Mataura Lodge No. 40. -Southland Times, 19/8/1932.
The esteem in winch the late Mr Powell Christie, the victim of the recent motor fatality was held was shown on Tuesday by the large attendance at the funeral, among those present being the chairman and directors of the Mataura dairy factory, of which the deceased was a member of the staff. Members of the Mataura Lodge of Oddfellows, No. 40, preceded the hearse, while his fellow workmates at the dairy factory acted as pall-bearers. The services at the house and graveside were conducted by the Rev. David McNeur, minister of the Mataura Presbyterian Church, the Oddfellows’ burial service being read by P.G. Bro. J. L. Mitchell. -Southland Times, 19/8/1932.
FATAL ACCIDENT
DEATH OF POWELL CHRISTIE.
INQUEST CONCLUDED.
The adjourned inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Powell Christie, who succumbed to injuries received as the result of a collision with a motor car when cycling along the Mataura-Gore road on August 13, was concluded before the District Coroner, Mr A. Martin, J.P., at the Gore Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning.
Dr. Moir, house surgeon at the Gore Public Hospital, said that Christie was admitted into hospital at 4.30 a.m. on August 13. When admitted he was unconscious and was suffering from severe laceration of the brain. He also had two scalp wounds on the back of his head. He received the usual treatment for shock. He never regained consciousness and died at 6 o’clock on the following morning. Death was due to laceration of the brain.
Robert Albert France, apprentice employed by T. L. Scott, said that on July 12 he drove a party of friends by car to Mataura. They left Mataura between 2.30 and 3 a.m. on the following morning. Witness was driving and Athol Robertson and Pat Howard were in the front seat with him. There were four others in the back seat. They proceeded along Bridge street and thence along the main road to Gore. When passing the freezing works they would be travelling at a speed of 20 or 25 miles per hour. He was driving along his correct side of the road. He did not see any traffic on the road in front of him. Just as Robertson drew his attention to a man riding a cycle on the right side of the car, witness also noticed him. The cyclist was riding across the road in the direction of the car and ran into the side of it. There was no opportunity for witness to avoid the collision. The cycle struck the car at the back of the front mudguard. He immediately stopped the car and they all got out. Christie was lying to the left of the centre of the road and his cycle was lying in the middle of the road. They did what they could for the injured man and sent for the doctor and for the police. Christie was afterwards conveyed by the ambulance to the Gore Hospital. The lights on his car were good. He had had no liquor that night. He saw no lights on the bicycle and there was no white paint or reflector on the rear mudguard. There was another car at the back and its lights were reflected on the windscreen of his car. After the accident he found that the luggage carrier on the right hand mudguard had been damaged.
Athol Robertson, a passenger in the car, corroborated the evidence given by France. When opposite the freezing works he saw a man on a bicycle coming towards the side of the car. He drew France’s attention to him, but before anything could be done the cyclist had collided with the car. France could not have avoided the collision. The first witness saw of the cyclist was when he was turning towards the car, from the wrong side of the road.
Patrick Francis Howard said he was sitting on the left side of the front seat and was first out of the car. Tire car, which had been travelling at the back of them, passed just as witness got out. In his opinion the car which passed had nothing to do with the accident.
John James Murphy, Mataura, said that on the morning of August 12 about 2.30 he was walking along the main road. He saw a car approaching him at a moderate speed and noticed it pull up and the passengers get out. He was right opposite the car at the time and went across to see what had happened. The passengers went back a short distance and he went with them, but left immediately to communicate with the police. There was no sign of liquor among the passengers of the car. Prior to the accident he had not seen the cyclist.
Constable Murphy said that he was advised of the accident at about 3.15 a.m. and immediately proceeded to the scene. He questioned the driver of the car and other passengers and the verbal statements made to him accorded with their sworn evidence. The car was standing on its correct side of the road and the cycle appeared to have struck it at the rear of the front mudguard. There was no lamp and no rear reflector on the bicycle. The damage to the cycle indicated to him that it had collided with the side of the car, but had not been run over. The torch (produced) was found lying on the road. The car was pulled up about 38ft. beyond where the bicycle was lying.
The Coroner found that death was due to shock and laceration of the brain as a result of colliding with a motor car while riding his bicycle on the wrong side of the Mataura-Gore road on August 13. He did not consider any blame was due to the driver of the car. -Southland Times, 23/8/1932.
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