South Yorkshire Times June 22, 1946

Fatal Dash into Road
Denaby Child Knocked Down by Car

“I must give it up as far as you are concerned,” the Doncaster district coroner (Mr WH Carlisle, told the driver of the car which knocked down and fatally injured Benjamin Blakemore (five), son of Charles of Fred Blakemore, miner, 82, Balby Street, Denaby in Doncaster Road, Denaby last Tuesday, after questioning her at an inquest on Friday.

Child Ran into Road

The driver, Enid Guadulupe, organiser of the Girls Friendly Society, of “Hurtmore, Godalming, Surrey, said she had no recollection of seeing a stationary lorry on a nearside, from behind which, several witnesses stated, the boy ran into the road and was knocked down by the car which was travelling in the direction of Conisbrough, nor did she see the child until the car was a foot from him, when she immediately braked.

“I think you are telling me all you can,” remarked the coroner at this point, “but on the other hand it is not very satisfactory.”

Recording a verdict of “Accidental death,” the Coroner said he was surprised that the driver was unable to give more definite evidence as to what occurred, but under the circumstances evidence it was not necessary as it might have been, had there been no independent witnesses. He was satisfied, however, that the cause of the accident was that the child ran from behind a lorry, the drivers view of him being obstructed in consequence, and that the distance separating the child from the car was such that the driver could not possibly avoid the accident.

A Great Pity

“I would like to say that with all the propaganda that goes about today on road safety,” the Coroner said, “It is a great pity that so many small children are allowed to run around the roads with no one in charge of them. What can one expect for a child of tender years to be let loose on the streets? There are bound to be accidents if it is permitted.”

The boy’s father said it was not customary for him to be allowed to run about the streets by myself.

Mr David Tulloch Clark said death was due to fracture of the base of the skull and laceration of the brain. Four ribs on the left side were fractured, and there were indications that the car had gone over him.

A disabled soldier, Frank Dendy, 74 Balby Street, Denaby, said he noticed a boy pass him against the Don Valley stores at the end of Tickhill Street. There was a stationary lorry outside the stores. The boy, with a bottle in his left hand and the paper in his right, stepped off the pavement about seven or 8 yards to the rear of the lorry. There was a “swish” of a car and he saw the boy set of as if to run across the road. Then the car knocked him down. The car was travelling at a speed which witness estimated at from 30 to 35 mph. There was no time for the car to avoid the boy.

The car was carrying an empty milk bottle which he was throwing into the air and catching, said Charles Lambert Atkins, miner, of 23 Marr Street, Denaby.

When the bike came from behind a lorry, said Ronald Burns, miner of 19 Blyth Street, Denaby, who was standing at the corner of Sprotborough Street, in reply to Mr KG Tudor (Owen, Mitchell, Kershaw and Cole, Sheffield, for the driver), the car would be half way along the length of the lorry – five or 6 yards from the boy.

No Chance to avoid Boy

A motorcyclist, travelling in the opposite direction to the car, Edward Vaughan, miner, 2, Mill Road, North Anson, said he saw the boy ran into the road, then hesitate and run back. He again ran into the road, straight in front of the car. The car was, he thought, travelling at not more than 30 mph, but had it been travelling at 20 mph, it could not, in his opinion, have avoided the child.

PC Frank Stancliffe, said where the boy was found was about 14 from the centre white line. There are two sets of brake marks, the first 25 feet from where the body was found and on the Conisbrough side of it, continuing for a distance of 9 feet. 18 feet further towards Conisbrough was another set of marks 7 feet long. Both sets of March were almost parallel with payment. The car breaks were tested at the driver’s estimated speed of 17 mph and the car pulled up within its own length.

Miss Enoch, who stated she had been driving nine years, said it was a first time she had driven through Denaby. She saw it was a congested area, own impression being that the street was crowded with vehicles and people, especially children, but she did not remember seeing the stationary lorry. She did not see the child until he was 1 foot away, because he came from the side; she was looking straight ahead, and was driving slowly close to the footpath.

Coroner: You are bird everything that has been said. If this boy had jumped off the footpath when you could see the road straight in front of you, if you are been looking out you would have seen it before you were a foot from him. Surely you have some reason for not seeing him before?

All Happened at Once

Witness: it all happened at once. The first thing I saw them was that he was running across my headlamp. I only saw the top of his head

It makes me wonder what you are doing. Do you really mean to tell me you don’t remember this lorry?

I only remember there was something dark to the offside of the road.

You can offer no explanation at all except that you suddenly saw a boy and knocked him down? That is really what it boils down to from what you’re telling me, doesn’t it?

Yes, but it does not sound right.

The Coroner: It does not sound right to me either.

After questioning witness on her statement that she was driving course of payment “when the all of the evidence goes to prove that you are pulling out to pass the stationary lorry,” and a lack of recollection of seeing the lorry, the Coroner said, “I have never known anybody so totally disagree with the whole of the evidence, which is pretty conclusive. I must give it up as far as you are concerned.”

In his summing up the coroner said he will accept that the car was travelling at between 15 and 20 mph. Some witnesses stated that the car was travelling very fast, but he did not think they have sufficient opportunity of checking the car’s speed, to form a proper estimate.