14/11/2019
Taranaki Daily News , 1 May 1920, Page 3
BELL BLOCK ACCIDENT.
EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. An inquest, concerning the death of William Julius Gustavo Eichstaedt. which occurred on Sunday as the result of injuries received in a motor accident on Saturday, was held at the New Plymouth Courthouse at 5 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon before Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., district coroner. Senior- Sergeant H. McCorrie represented the, police. R. D. Climie, engineer to the Taranaki County Council, deposed that he was driving a car from New Plymouth to Sentry Hill and shortly after 11 o clock he passed a car driven by Mr. If. B Lepper at the bottom of the dip by the Bell Block hall. On turning the corner and ascending the hill he saw an overturned car in flames with its front wheels slightly to the right of the middle of the road. A boy and girl had been thrown clear of the overturned car, but four people were pinned underneath. The car was resting on Mr. Eichstaedt's chest. Witness and another man who was with him were able to extricate Mr. Eichstaedt and his companions. Mr. Eichstaedt was able to stand up but was dazed. He kept muttering "Too much speed In reply to the Senior-Sergeant, the witness said the near rear wheel of the car was broken. Before they pushed the car to the side of the road it was lying with its bonnet on the metal and pointing in almost the opposite direction to that in which it had been proceeding. The flames were extinguished with sand after the people had been rescued. Because of the nature of the road at this point it would be very dangerous for a car to try to pass another from behind. Mrs. Louise Eichstaedt, the wife of the deceased man, said that her husband, four children, and herself left their home on the York Road, Midhirst, at a little after 10 o'clock. They passed Mr. Lepper's car on the Inglewood side of the Waitara road and it passed them later. They caught up to the other car again some distance from the scene of the accident. Before coming quite to the curve her husband blew the horn and Mr. Lepper drew off to the left. She did not think her husband then put speed on. When the commencement of the steep part of the hill leading into the hollow was near, the front, wheels of their ear were almost up to the back wheels of Mr. Leppers car and the latter pulled out on to the road again. Her husband then either had to run into the other car or pull off the road to the off, and he did the latter. The rest of the occurrence was so rapid that she had no clear knowledge of it. The magistrate remarked that he had seen the place and was sure it was not wise to attempt to pass there. Mr Eichstaedt should have put his brakes on and let the other car go ahead. Continuing Mrs. Eichstaedt said she did not think her husband was traveling very fast at the time. He had had the car nearly three years, A- Walker, medical superintendent of the New Plymouth Hospital, deposed that the cause of death was shock resulting from the injuries received, which included crushing of the j right side and pe*******on of the lung. Mr. H. B. Lepper, the driver of the other car, was prevented by illness from attending. Evidence was given by Mrs C- B. Lepper who was a passenger in the car. She stated that she heard a crash and on looking back saw the other car overturning. Mr. Lepper had drawn to the left, but in commencing to go down the hill, had turned towards the centre. She drew Mr. Lepper's attention to the accident and he stopped his car. The verdict was to the effect that the deceased man died of injuries received through the accidental overturning of Ins car. The coroner remarked "that there did not seem to have been any negligence on the part of Mr. Lepper. From the evidence it seemed that Mr. Eichstaedt had got too close up at a part of the road where it was very dangerous to attempt to pass.
