Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 12 January 1924
Balby Child’s Death
Knocked Down By Conisborough Motor Car
Driver Exonerated
At the Doncaster Borough Court, on Tuesday, an inquiry was held by Mr. William Hayshaw, the Doncaster Coroner, into the circumstances of the death of three years old Thomas Davies, son of Thomas Davies, pit sinker, of High road, Balby. The girl was knocked down on Saturday afternoon by a motor car driven by Mr. Richard Henry Hawley, farmer and contractor, of Manor Farm, Conisborough.
Florence Hilda Davies, the mother of the child, of 42 High road, Balby, gave evidence of identification. Mrs. Davies saw her daughter at some friends’ house on Saturday afternoon. Later in the afternoon a witness went out to make some enquiries as her daughter did not return home. She learned of the accident from a shopkeeper. Her daughter had very bad eyesight and wore glasses.
Albert Law, of Doncaster, was walking along the Balby road toward Doncaster at the time of the accident. Witness saw the girl run in the pavement into the road. She was moving in a diagonal direction, towards Balby. The approaching car was practically on the top of the girl as she stepped on to the road. The car was on the left side of the road and travelling at a reasonable pace. Law heard a warning shout from the driver, and saw the front part of the car catch the girl. The driver turned the car sharply to the right in order to avoid the girl but failed, and the child was carried bodily into the middle of the road. The girl was dropped on to the tram track and the back wheel of the car passed over the girl’s head before the driver had time to pull up, which he did by drawing to the left side of the road. When the child was picked up she was bleeding from the eyes, mouth, and ears. In witness opinion the driver did all that was possible to avoid the accident. There were two side lights on the car. The child was skipping across the pathway. Witness heard no horn sounded.
Ernest Wm. Couch, of Balby, heard the warning shout of the driver and estimated the speed of the car as about 15 to 20 miles an hour. Couch corroborated the evidence of the previous witness that Hawley swerved quickly aside to try and avoid an accident. Witness helped the injured girl into Hawley’s car and accompanied the car to the Infirmary. In his opinion the car was travelling at a reasonable pace.
Dr. Andrew Cowan said the girl was admitted to the Infirmary about 3 p.m. The girl was dead, death being due to compound fracture at the base of the skull. In the doctor’s opinion the fracture was caused by the wheel of the car passing over the child’s head.
Another witness said the car was about 15 yards away when the girl stepped off the kerb. She did not look round to see what traffic was approaching. Hawley did the best thing possible under the circumstances in turning to the right. The accident could not possibly have been avoided.
P.C. Holmes was on duty near the scene of the accident. The car was travelling at not more than 15 miles an hour and had two good side lights. Witness heard the driver shout and the sound of money scattering on the roadway. When the child was picked up she was, apparently, in a dying condition. In the opinion of the constable the accident could not possibly have been avoided.
Richard Henry Hawley, farmer and haulage contractor, of Manor Farm, Conisborough, the driver of the car, said the road was absolutely clear and the deceased stepped on to the road from the causeway. She was running. It was getting dusk at the time, and she did not look to see if anything was approaching. Hawley said the girl was not more than a yard away when he first saw her. She stepped straight on to the road on to the front of the car. She was struck by the left-hand side mudguard, which pitched her forward as he attempted to avoid her by swerving sharply to the right. He felt the car rise as it passed over her body. It was impossible to escape an accident.
He had been driving a car for 28 years, ever since the first De Dion came to Conisborough. He had travelled on the road for 10 years and never other than a moderate, comfortable pace, and had he been going faster he might have avoided the accident.
The Coroner stated there was no question of negligence involved. All witnesses were agreed that Mr. Hawley had done all that was possible.
A verdict of “Accidental Death” was returned.
The Jury, the Coroner, and Mr. Hawley expressed sympathy with the parents of the dead child.