DRIVER'S BODY FOUND.
CAR OVER CLIFF IN DARKNESS.
(By Telegraph. — Press Association.) OAMARU, Sunday.
The body of William Kirean Dooley, aged 58, was found at the foot of a cliff on the foreshore at seven o'clock this morning. Apparently the car which the deceased was driving crashed over a 30ft drop late last night. Mr. Dooley lived two streets further on from the spot where the accident occurred, and it is thought he mistook the turning. He leaves a wife and grown-up family. -Auckland Star, 22/12/1930.
ACCIDENTAL DEATH
INQUEST ON THE LATE MR W. K. DOOLEY.
An inquest into the death of the late Mr William Dooley was held at the Courthouse yesterday afternoon before the Coroner, Mr W. H. Frith, J.P. Senior-Sergeant Scott appeared for the police, and Mr L. H. Sumpter for the relatives of deceased.
Edward Connell, residing in Orwell street, and employed by the Railway Department, stated that he walked down the beach at the end of Orwell street at about 7 a.m. on Sunday. The road and gravel extended right to the edge of the precipice, where there was a sheer drop to the beach. He noticed an overturned motor car at the foot of the precipice. He saw a man's shoes protruding from the door of the car. He immediately went home and told his sister to communicate with the police. He did not turn the car on to its side, but probably this had been done by some of those that he had informed of the accident.
William Lindsay Notman, an electrician, carrying on business in Thames Street, Oamaru, stated that he knew deceased and had done business with him. He last saw deceased at 9.45 on Saturday evening at his premises. Deceased had called on him and stayed for about 20 minutes. He left about 10.15 p.m., and appeared to be quite normal and in his usual state of health. Deceased had not stated where he was going, and witness did not know whether he had his car with him. He was not accompanied. Deceased had called upon him partly on business in connection with his wireless set. It was a custom of deceased to call in occasionally. By his appearance, he would say that deceased had not had any drink whatever. Witness had known deceased for about a year or more, and knew that he had weak eyes. He generally wore dark glasses. Deceased had not appeared depressed during his stay at witness' premises.
Constable Waring gave evidence that at 7.15 a.m. on Sunday he had gone, in response to a telephone call, to the scene of the accident. He had found the car lying on its side with the wheels pointing south. He outlined the proceedings in connection with the finding and identification of the body and also the injuries that had been inflicted by the accident. The precipice was 14 feet high. He would say that deceased had been dead for anything up to seven hours. Foyle street ran from Thames street to the foreshore. About 150 yards from the east end of the street a railway crossing and embankment had to be crossed. About 30 feet from the precipice a barbed wire fence, consisting of two strands with a notice board attached prohibiting the dumping of rubbish, had been erected, but this had been down for a couple of days prior to the accident. The street was gravelled right to the edge of the precipice, giving it the appearance of an old road. He noticed a tyre mark on the notice board that was lying on the ground. For 15 feet there was a distinct sign of the right hand rear wheel having been braked. The remaining 15 feet to the precipice did not show any sign of a brake having been applied to any of the wheels of the car. On the beach where the car had gone over he found the mark of the bonnet six feet out from the precipice. The car must have been travelling slowly when it went over the precipice. Deceased could not have reached Foyle street from the east end of the streets in that vicinity. He knew that deceased had worn sun glasses in the daytime. He had found in deceased's possession another pair of spectacles as well as those that witness knew that deceased wore. From Thames street to the precipice at the end of Orwell street the roadway was in as good a condition as any other side street in Oamaru. Had the wire fence and notice board been in place deceased might have seen it from the railway embankment.
Senior-Sergeant Scott corroborated the evidence of Constable Waring. He had examined Foyle and Orwell streets, and from Thames street these streets appeared very much alike. Though they were some distance apart, a person at night might easily make a mistake and take the wrong street. By reason of the facts that the fence had been down and that the road surface was good, a person could quite easily find himself on the edge of the precipice before he knew that he was really off the road. For that reason he considered that the street was dangerous both to cyclists and motorists. In the case on hand it was quite evident that deceased had not been travelling fast or otherwise the radiator of the car would not have been found so close to the bank.
To Mr Sumpter: It was quite possible for deceased after crossing the railway embankment, to have travelled by a side road into Weaver street and then into Foyle street. It was quite possible for deceased to have crossed this side road in the dark and to have continued on the good road.
The Coroner commented upon the lack of evidence to show how deceased was occupied from the time he left home until the time of the accident. Only about 20 minutes of that time was accounted for, and commented upon the diffidence of members of the public to come, forward and give information in such cases. The public seemed to have a false notion that trouble might arise. He concurred with the view that deceased had continued along the street by mistake and had missed the side street that led into Weaver street. It was quite feasible that deceased had missed the street, and also that he might have mistaken Orwell street for Foyle street, which were very similar in appearance. However, most of the evidence was mere assumption.
A verdict was returned that deceased met his death accidentally, by a car that he was driving going over a bank. -North Otago Times, 24/12/1930.
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