South Yorkshire Times, March 12th, 1960
Death Crash in the Dusk Outside Conisbrough Hotel
Young Denaby Main Rider Had No Crash Helmet
Only a day before a 17-years-old Denaby motor cyclist was fatally injured in a collision with a car at the junction of Station Road and Low Road, Conisbrough, an accident occurred at the same spot, a witness stated at a Conisbrough inquest on Tuesday.
Trouble Spot
Mrs. Mildred Pearson, who lives at Mount Cottages, Station Road, a few yards from the scene of the accident told the District Coroner (Mr W H Carlile) “It is a source of trouble”.
The jury recorded the verdict of Accidental Death on William Colin Harrison, a labourer in a Mexborough factory, of Blythe Street, Denaby, whose machine was involved in the collision on Saturday night.
William Tomlinson said that the machine was the first his grandson, who lived with him, had ever had.
Dr. H. Lederer, Pathologist, said death was due to a fractured skull
Robert William Coope, Ivanhoe Road, Edlington, said on Saturday evening he and Harrison were riding along Low Road in the direction of Denaby. He was some way behind and did not see the actual collision. It was not dark and neither of the motorcycles had lights on. Coope said that after the collision he braked and swerved round the back of the car, which was stationary across the white line in Station Road.
Coope said that neither he nor Harrison was wearing a crash helmet.
George Frederick Cole, of Park Road, Conisbrough, said that the car travelling towards Doncaster, passed him while he was walking in Low Road. “It was travelling at a reasonable speed, but I could not say whether its lights were on.”
Street Lights On
He heard the crash, and saw Harrison lying face down on the pavement. It was about dusk, he said, and the street lamps were on. The car had halted when it was just about to enter Station Road.
Joseph Parkinson, of Cantley near Doncaster, a chef, said that at about 6-45 he was standing outside the Station Hotel, where a dinner was being held, helping to unload containers. After the accident the car driver came up to him and said “He didn’t give me a chance.”
- P.Sgt. J. Fairburn (Conisbrough) said that there had been “quite a few accidents at the junction.” Most of the people involved were local and knew the road well. The only road sign at the junction was a slow sign at the bottom of Station Road, Sgt. Ellis said.
A police inspector said that both vehicles involved were in good order. The car, however, had a defective offside trafficator. The cycle appeared to have brushed across the front of the car. “The rider would have been more damaged than the machine.”
Started to Wobble
George William Roberts, of 6, Athron’s Row, Mexborough, a miner, said that he had borrowed his brother’s car and was travelling to Conisbrough High. He was beginning to turn into Station Road. He knew the road well and had slowed down to negotiate the junction. “I did not see the motor cycle until he was on top of me. I think he saw me at the same time as I saw him: then he started to wobble. When I saw that I would not be able to get into Station Road I braked. I knew I could not get across without risking a collision. I had stopped when he struck me.”
In reply to a question from the Coroner, Roberts said that when he first saw the motor cycle it was about 40 yards away. “It was going so fast it was on top of me in no time.” Witness estimated that the motor cycle was travelling at 45 to 50 miles an hour.
Roberts agreed that in a statement to the police he had said that he thought it was the second motor cycle that had been involved in the collision, and that the first motor cycle had narrowly missed the front of the car. He agreed with the coroner that he was probably over wrought and confused when he made the statement.
The coroner said that although the car driver may have been partly to blame there was no evidence of criminal negligence. There were no independent witnesses and there was no indication as to what speed the motor cycle was travelling.