South Yorkshire Times May 9
She Remembered a book, Then…
A Conisbrough schoolgirl, waiting at a bus stop, remembered that she had forgotten a book and crossed the road again with intentional collecting it from her home, a short distance away. But when she got to the other side of the Doncaster – Sheffield road she could see that her bus to Rotherham was coming and she realised that she had not time to get the book. Looking towards the bus, which was travelling from Doncaster, she stepped out in to the road and into the path of an oncoming car.
The jury at a resumed inquest in Doncaster on Friday returned a verdict of “Accidental Death” on 13 years old Theresa Anne Gregory, daughter of Mr and Mrs G.Peter Gregory, of 3, Minneymoor Lane, Conisbrough, who was killed by a Volkswagen car on the main road near to her home on April 23.
Theresa, the Doncaster District coroner, Mr K.D. Potter, was told, left home shortly before 8 to catch a bus to St Bernard’s Roman Catholic school, off Herringthorpe Road, Rotherham.
Margaret Kirkham, of 17, Crookhill Road, Conisbrough, a Welfare Officer for the blind, told the Coroner: “When I got to the stop Theresa was already there. She frequently caught the same bus as I did. She was standing for a few minutes and then Theresa said she wanted to go back home to collect a book that she had left behind.”
The Bus was Coming.
Witness added, “I watched as she crossed the road, and she turned to look towards Doncaster. When she got to the pavement on the other side she turned to look towards Doncaster and shouted,´Oh! The bus is coming.´ I instinctively looked, but because of restricted viewing could not see the bus. Then I heard the impact. I looked back to see Theresa´s body being hurled into the air. I just noticed a car coming on, but he pulled up quickly.”
Judith Patricia Curtis (17), 111 Doncaster Road, Conisbrough, a shorthand typist, said she was waiting to catch a bus to Doncaster, a little further up on the opposite side of the road.
“I was on the Minneymoor Lane side of the road,” she said. “I did not see her cross the road to the stop the first time, but I did see her when she was on the opposite side of the road stop again. She was on the edge of the payment, looking towards the bus travelling from Doncaster. She seemed to hesitate and then stepped out into the road. I did not see her look to her right, where a line of cars was coming. The first was only a few yards away and it seemed to hit her on the front side of the car.” She added “I do not think the car could have avoided hitting her.” She said that roads were damp, due to earlier rain.
Almost Straight Towards Him.
Lorry driver Raymond Frank Hall of West End, Brassington, Derbyshire, said he saw a Volkswagen coming almost straight towards him.
“I thought he must’ve had a blow at first,” he said. “The car was more or less on top of me, but he straightened out and when he passed me. I saw that the windscreen was shattered, and papers were flying about. I saw the girl lying in the road, and I pulled up at the bus stop to see if I could help. I put a blanket over her to keep her warm.”
Witness said that, by the way the car driver had corrected himself. He saw that the car could not have been travelling at excessive speed.
The girl was lying face downwards in the road with her legs towards the white line, and her head to the pavement. The car driver telephoned for an ambulance.
Passengers Evidence.
Robert Ryan Agus, an apprentice electrician of 34. Boyce Street, Sheffield, a passenger in the car which struck the girl, said he saw the girl on the pavement edge.
“We must have been only three or 4 yards away from her when she stepped into the road,” he said. “Then the windscreen shattered and the car braked.”
He told the Coroner that he thought the car was “only doing a moderate speed.”
PC Briggs, stationed at Conisbrough, said he arrived at the scene of the accident at 8:05 am
“There was a pool of blood under her head, and blood was still running from her ear,” he said. Witness said he felt a faint pulse but only about a minute after he arrived, an ambulance reached the scene of the accident to take the girl to Doncaster Royal Infirmary.
Car Was Well Maintained.
A check on the car proved that it was well maintained.
The driver of the car, Vincent Rafferty (20), an electrician of 91, Longley Lane, Sheffield, told the Coroner, “I was driving the car towards Doncaster and my speed would be between 25 and 30 mph. I could see the wall, and I saw the bus stop, but I did not see the girl until she was right on top of me. She seemed to step right onto the wheel and it all happened in a split second. I started to break and swerve, and the windscreen shattered. All I could see was a blur on the bonnet. I was frightened that she would fall off under the wheels.”
Dr Peter F.J. Sewill Doncaster Pathologist gave evidence as to the girls injuries and said in his opinion death was due to fracture of the skull.
The Coroner expressed sympathy to the parents and added, “It is obviously a case of accidental death.”
Mrs Gregory mentions this week that she and her husband received many Mass cards and that they are deeply appreciative of the kindness and sympathy shown to them throughout the district.