Cyclist Injured
About 9.30 last night, a collision occurred between a car and a cycle at the corner of College Road and Cain Street, as a result of which a young woman received abrasions, and Patrick McGrath, aged 17, who resides in Catherine Street, was somewhat seriously injured. McGrath, with the girl on the cross-bar of his bicycle, was proceeding along Cain Street towards College Road, while the car. driven by Mr W. Mahood, was proceeding east along College Road. McGrath was attended by a member of the St. John Ambulance Brigade and Dr. Kingston, and was taken to hospital, his condition later being reported to be satisfactory. -Timaru Herald, 15/10/1935.
YOUTH FATALLY INJURED.
TIMARU, October 15.
Patrick Hugh McGrath, aged 17, a son of Mr William McGrath, while cycling along Cain Street, Timaru, about 9.30 p.m. on Monday, with a young woman on the crossbar of his cycle, collided with a motor-car driven by Mr W. Maliood, near College Road. He was thrown from his cycle and received injuries to his head. He was taken to hospital, dying at 9.30 a.m. to-day. -Ashburton Guardian, 16/10/1935.
NOTICE.
MEMBERS of the undermentioned Clubs are asked to attend the Funeral of our late Member, PATRICK McGRATH
TIMARU CATHOLIC CLUB
ST. PATRICK’S RIFLE CLUB
CELTIC CRICKET CLUB
CELTIC FOOTBALL CLUB.
F. BURTON, President Timaru Catholic Club.
CELTIC FOOTBALL CLUB
MEMBERS if the above Club are requested assemble at the Catholic Church at 9 a.m. TOMORROW (Thursday) to attend the funeral of Patrick Hugh McGrath.
P. E. KYNE, Secretary. -Timaru Herald, 16/10/1935.
Sympathetic reference to the death of Patrick McGrath, who was killed in a recent road accident, was made at a meeting of the Board of Managers of the Timaru Technical College last night. The principal (Mr F. L. N. Tuck) reported that at the funeral two prefects had acted as pall-bearers, the boy only recently having left the school. A motion of condolence was accorded the parents. -Timaru Herald, 14/11/1935.
CYCLIST’S DEATH
EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST
COLLISION AT CORNER
Arising out of a collision between a motor-car and cycle at the intersection of Cain Street and College Road on the evening of October 14, an inquest concerning the death of the cyclist. Patrick Hugh McGrath (17), was held yesterday before the Coroner, Mr A. L. Gee.
Sergeant Vaughan conducted the proceedings. Mr L. M. Inglis appeared for the Insurance Company concerned and for R. W. Mahood, driver of the car. Mr Mervyn Raymond appearing for the relatives of McGrath.
Dr. R. F. Thomas, a house surgeon at the Timaru Public Hospital, said that when McGrath was admitted to the hospital about 9.30 p.m. he was unconscious. His condition became gradually worse and he died about 9.15 the following morning. The cause of death was cerebral laceration.
Norah Irene Ross, of Oamaru, said that on October 14 she was on holiday in Timaru. In the evening McGrath and a young man named Cremin had to go a message and witness accompanied McGrath, travelling on the bar of his cycle. When they reached College Road she walked up the hill. McGrath had no light or brake on his cycle. When leaving the place where the message was delivered, witness was again a passenger on the bar of McGrath's cycle. They cycled down the left side of Cain Street and came down the hill fairly fast. When nearing the corner of Cain Street and College Road she saw a car travelling on its correct side. The cycle and the car collided. Witness thought they would have had time to get round the corner and were just turning to the left when the collision took place.
In reply to Mr Raymond witness said that she was not worried or concerned about the speed of the cycle. When she saw the car coming witness thought they had plenty of time to get round the corner.
Previous Statement Recalled To Mr Inglis: Witness’s back was behind the car before the collision. In the first statement made after the accident she said that when they were a chain from the intersection the car appeared on the intersection. Later in the same statement she said that they were somewhat less than the width of the intersection from the corner when the car appeared in view.
Mr Inglis: That makes it perfectly plain that the car was on the intersection before the bicycle reached it?
Witness: "It does.” In the same statement to an insurance adjuster she said that she could not remember the car actually colliding with them. The statement was given three days after the accident when she was not very fit and when she was still under medical treatment.
To Mr Raymond: Witness was in bed when she made the statement and she could not remember what she said then.
Mr Inglis said he wanted it made perfectly clear that the insurance adjuster had the permission of the doctor to take the statement.
John Joseph Cremin, who was cycling behind McGrath on the night of the accident, said that he would have been about 10 to 15 yards from McGrath when he saw the car come past a hedge in College Road on its correct side. The cycle was already making the turn into College Road when witness saw the car. The car was travelling about 30 miles an hour. He did not see lights on the car and did not hear any brakes being applied. The car swerved to the right as soon as the car reached the intersection, and if it had not done this the collision would have been avoided. The left hand or front portion of the car struck the cycle, McGrath having his back to the car.
James Doherty, a resident of College Road, said that the car in question passed him about three chains before the scene of the accident. It was then travelling at 20 to 25 miles an hour. Witness saw the driver of the car just after the accident. The driver seemed perfectly sober.
To Mr Inglis: When the car passed him it was travelling at a moderate speed.
Position of Car at Corner John Joseph Gilmore corroborated the evidence of the previous witness. After the accident he heard Cremins, referring to the accident, remark: “I could see it coming a mile off.” Cremins was rather excited at the time.
Replying to Mr Inglis witness said that after the car passed him it kept on about the same speed. When the car was practically across the Cain Street intersection he saw a shadow come in front of it. As soon as he saw the shadow he heard a crash of glass. When witness saw the shadow the car swerved on to its incorrect side of the road. The headlights of the car were on when it passed him.
To Mr Inglis: Although he was some distance from the point of impact there was a street light on the western corner of Cain Street. The car had passed this light when the collision occurred.
John McKim, omnibus engineer to the Timaru Borough Council, who examined the brakes of the car, said that the vehicle had only the footbrake in operation. The brakes were not in accordance with the regulations.
Constable Lloyd gave evidence as to measurements he had taken on the night of the accident.
To Mr Inglis: The bicycle was apparently just bearing to the left when the collision occurred.
Evidence in regard to an inspection he had made of the scene of the accident was given by Constable Watt. He had travelled down Cain Street on his own bicycle which had a back pedalling brake. He had to slow down to take the corner safely. He would not have liked to have ridden a fixed wheel cycle down the hill with a passenger on the bar and turn in the loose shingle at the bottom.
The Coroner returned the following verdict: "That Patrick Hugh McGrath died on October 15 at the Timaru Hospital, the cause of death being cerebral laceration as a result of a collision between a bicycle ridden by Patrick H. McGrath, with Norah Irene Ross on the crossbar, and a motor-car driven by Robert William Mahood.” -Timaru Herald, 12/12/1935.
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