Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 11 November 1939
Swinton Victim of Road Crash
“Neither Driver Gave Clear Signal”
Addressing a jury at an inquest at Mealborough Montagu Hospital on Monday on Margaret Shirley Wilson (4), daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wilson, of 74, Toll Bar Road. Swinton, who was fatally injured after a motor cycle and a motor car had come into collision at Swinton on October 30th, the Doncaster District Coroner, Mr. W. H. Carlile, said “You cannot say there has been criminal negligence on the part of the drivers, but it certainly seems as though this accident should not have happened. I think the cause of the accident was due to the failure of either of the drivers to give clear indication as to what he was going to do.”
A verdict of “Accidental Death” was returned.
Inspector Johnson represented the West Riding Constabulary, driver of the car was represented by Mr. A. H. Johnson, the girl’s parents by Mr. Gillespie, and the motor cyclist by Mr. Nicholson.
Father Gave Blood.
Henry Wilson, the child’s father, a collier, gave evidence of identification, and said he was in bed when his daughter was brought home after the accident. He had given a blood transfusion in an attempt to save her life, but it was unsuccessful.
Eunice Turton (13), of 55, Toll Bar Road, Swinton, told the Coroner that at about 4-10 p.m. on Monday, October 30th, she was walking with Margaret from Rockingham Road towards the junction of Toll Bar Road and Brameld Road. She had hold of the little girl’s hand, and they were on the footpath. She saw a car coming along Brameld Road, and also saw the motor cycle coming up Toll Bar Road towards the junction. She and the girl had not quite reached the bend of the road. The car was not travelling fast, and the motor cycle was travelling faster than the car but not too fast, in witness’s opinion. She heard no hooter sounded, and there was no other traffic about at the time.
The vehicles tried to avoid each other but collided, and she thought they were nearer to her side of the road. After the collision she thought the driver of the car lost control, and he ran on to the footpath where they were. When she saw the car coming she picked the girl up and tried to keep her as close as she could. The car caught her and dragged the girl out of witness’s arms, and the next thing she knew the girl was on the floor. The driver picked her up and took her home.
Asked by Inspector Johnson, witness agreed the car’s speed after the collision was faster than before.
Child Under Wheel
Donald Sykes (14), of 9, Duke Street, Swinton, said he and another boy were walking on Brameld Road towards Toll Bar Road, not very far behind the two girls. He saw a motor cycle strike the car. The motor cycle struck the rear end of the side of the car which was farthest away from them. The motor car driver then put on his brakes and swerved on to the pavement on which they were standing. The car hit the wall and the girl, and it dragged her away and she went under the wheel. He heard no hooter sounded and there was no other traffic about at the time.
The car driver, Charles Cooper, of 15, Nicholas Road, Rawmarsh, colliery screen foreman, said at about 4-15 p.m. he was driving his car along Brameld Road, Swinton, and was approaching the cross roads at Toll Bar Road. He was travelling at about 12 to 15 m.p.h., and knew the road fairly well. He was in second gear, and as he approached the cross roads he took a glance to his right, saw nothing, and proceeded. He glanced to the left and saw nothing, and was in the centre of the road when he heard the roar of a motor cycle engine. He saw the motor cyclist approaching him, and about six yards away. Before there was time to do anything the motor cyclist struck the front offside wheel of his car. Something struck the side window of the car and caused him momentarily to lose control, and the impact drove him on the footpath. The car struck the wall a glancing blow with the nearside mudguard. He was then horrified to see the children, and in pulling away must have struck them. He took the small girl up the road to her home.
The Coroner: Could you not have pulled up before?
Witness: I could have pulled up if the impact had not caused me to lose control.
The Coroner: Did you not see anything when you glanced to your right?
Witness: No, sir.
The Coroner: Did you take it for granted nothing was coming.
Witness: I never take anything for granted.
Inspector Johnson said that witness had said nothing about the window being struck in the police statement, and witness said it was badly shattered.
Mr. Jackson then asked whether it was not true that witness had been driving for 15 years, and he said that was so.
Witness also agreed that the impact was a heavy one.
Evidence From Bath Chair.
Howard Trowe, the motor cyclist, of 7, Coverleigh Road, Wath, gave evidence from an invalid chair, and said he was 16 years of age, and had had his provisional licence since October 6th, 1939. He had his learner plates affixed to his cycle. On October 30th he was riding the motor cycle up Toll Bar Road on his way home. He was on his proper side, travelling in third gear at a speed of about 25 m.p.h., but his speed did not exceed that. He was half way up the road when he changed down into second gear and saw the car travelling along Brameld Road through a space between two houses. When he got nearly to the cross roads he saw the car in Brameld Road. He braked, and so did the car driver. Then he understood the car driver to “nod” him to carry on. He accelerated a bit, and as he did so the car did also, and he struck it at the front offside near the front wheels.
The Coroner: You did not mention that “nod” in your police statement. You said that you saw the car was going to stop.
In reply to Mr. Jackson witness said he knew road signals as prescribed by the Highway Code, and in reply to Mr. Nicholson he agreed that the driver of the car had every chance of seeing him.
Inspector Johnson asked whether he signified his intention of turning right by putting out his hand, and witness said he did so.
P.c. V. Arnold, stationed at Swinton, said the motor cycle was lying in the centre of Brameld Road and facing the opposite direction and the car was on the pavement at Brameld Road. The Motor cyclist was apparently suffering from shock, and the girl appeared to be seriously injured. The width of Toll Bar Road was 18 feet, and the width of Brameld Road 23 feet. The car had come to rest 54 feet from the brake markings where the driver said the impact had occurred. There was a vision of about BO feet for anyone coming out of any of the four roads. Both the cycle and the car were badly damaged.
Dr. I. E. Wilkinson, house physician at Mexborough Montagu Hospital, said the girl had a large laceration of the upper third of her leg, and had multiple fractures of the right femur and the right hip. She died at 10-5 p.m., and the cause of death was shock following multiple fractures of the right femur and pelvis.
Coroner’s Comments.
Addressing the jury the Coroner said they had heard from the witnesses that the car was travelling at a reasonable speed approaching the cross roads. The driver of the motor cycle was a youth of very small experience, and he had only had a licence for a few days before the accident occurred. The driver of the car stated he was travelling at 15 m.p.h., and the motor cyclist at 25 m.p.h. When they reached the junction there was some misunderstanding as to who should proceed.
It was unfortunate that the child was on the footpath when the impact took place. They could not say that there had been any criminal negligence on the part of the drivers, though it certainly seemed as though the accident should not have happened. It seemed that either driver might have given indication of what he was going to do, and if they had come down to the speed they said they had, it should not have occurred. He thought the cause of the accident was the failure to give indication of what they were going to do on the part of the drivers. As a result they both went forward, and as a result of the impact the driver of the car lost control and the car mounted the pavement and the girl was killed.
A verdict of “Accidental Death” was returned, and expressions of sympathy with the child’s parents were made on behalf of the car driver, the motor cyclist, and the jury, and the Coroner also expressed sympathy.