Coroner’s Comments on Conisbrough Mishap – “Should not have happened”

October 1945

South Yorkshire Times October 20, 1945

“Should not have happened”
Coroner’s Comments on Conisbrough Mishap

“This, apparently is an accident that should never have happened. The driver ought to have stopped. But there is no evidence to show a case of manslaughter against him.”

The Doncaster District corona (Mr. W. H. Carlile) use these words in recording a verdict of “accidental death” at an inquest at Doncaster on Friday on John Henry Wray (65), retired locomotive driver, of 1, Starr Lane, Conisbrough, who was knocked down on the Doncaster Sheffield Road at Conisbrough on the previous Saturday by a car driven by Frederick Grayson, Butcher, of 37 Freedom Road, Walkle, Sheffield, and died on the following day Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

Dorothy Wray, daughter, said her father left home for his allotment garden, which was 100 yards from the house on the opposite side of the road. She learned of the accident 20 minutes later, and accompanied her father to hospital.

A journalist Eric David Stephens, 74, Highfield road, Doncaster, who was driving towards Sheffield, said he saw a car, well over on his wrong side of the road, going in the same direction. It made “two wobbles” and then witness saw a body cartwheeled into the air to the left side of the car. He pulled up immediately and ran to the scene.

In reply to Mr. J. H. Dunk (Sheffield), representing the relatives, Stephens said that after the accident the car pulled up into the offside curb, 15 or 16 yards further on.

Harold Mason, grocer, 2, City Road, Sheffield 2, a passenger in Grayson’s car, said he first saw Wray in the middle-of-the-road, 50 yards away, making towards the nearside. The car was travelling about 30 mph and was on its proper side. The driver sounded his horn. The man in the road appeared “flabbergasted,” then went to the left. Mason went to the right tried to get him round him, crossing the white line in doing so. Then the man turned completely round and walked into the car.

Another passenger, John Heaton, “the bungalow,” Birley Moor, Hackenthorpe, near Sheffield, said Grayson sounded his horn twice, after which the car slowed down perceptibly. Wray hesitated in the road

Dr George Robert Tennant Birtwistle, resident surgical officer at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, gave medical evidence.

Grayson said he first saw Wray in the road 50 yards away. Wray was approaching from the left side diagonally across the road, and when he came to the middle he bent down. When 25 yards from Wray witness sounded his hooter for the first time. Wray appeared to be startled, threw his hands in the air and turned as though to go back to his left side. “When I saw him make to go back to left I immediately swept to my right to avoid him. I thought there was plenty of room to get by. I put my foot on the accelerator when I saw he was going away from me. Then he made, back and I caught him with my nearside front mudguard.” When Wray hesitated Grayson said he took his foot off the accelerator.

Coroner: Why didn’t you see him before you did? – He was no sooner off the footpath then he was in the road. There are also trees on the left-hand side.

When you saw him in this obvious dilemma as to what do by their that you say hands in the air showed signs of hesitation, why did you not stop? – In the first instance there was no room on either side of him.

Don’t you think now it would have been safer to stop? – Witness replied that he held only a provisional driving licence, and that he had been driving only about 18 months.