As mentioned in Chronicles for February 2024
LADY MOTOR CYCLIST'S TRAGIC END.
Fatal Collision With a Bus.
The tragic death of a well-known and popular young lady, Miss Ethel Frances May Hearn, aged 22. of 868 [?] Garratt-lane, Tooting, was inquired into by Mr.Oddie, sitting with a Jury at Battersea Corner's Court on Tuesday afternoon.
Miss Hearn was killed by colliding with a bus at the Wandsworth Common end of Nightingale-lane on Saturday evening. Her parents are the progrletors of a cycle business at 868 [?] Garratt-lane. The family formerly lived at Austin-road, Battersea.
The young lady was an ardent motor cyclist and a skilled motor mechanic. She is said to have understood the mechanism of a motor cycle from A to Z. Among her parents' customers and their friends, she organised a kind of motor cycling club, and when anything went amiss with a machine she was the one at once appealed to, and never in vain. An expert rider, she had driven hundreds of miles in various parts of the country.
On Saturday night while out for a spin on her motor cycle she came Into collision with a 67 L.G.O.C. [London General Omnibus Company] bus in Nightingale-lane, near the Junction with Bolingbroke-grove.
At the Inquest Mr. Richard Hearn. 868 Garratt-lane, said deceased was his daughter. A healthy girl, with good sight and hearing, she had ridden a motor cycle for three years, and was a skilled motor cycle mechanic. He knew that she was in the habit of riding along Bolingbroke-grove and Nightingale-lane. When she went for a ride on Saturday evening she had
A PILLION PASSENGER,
a young man named Fennell, a great friend of the deceased.
Witness had seen him In St. James's Infirmary since the accident. On learning of the tragedy Mr. Fennel said " very worry. MN is not to blame. She was going on the near side of the road when motor bus hit her sideways. After that I knew no more." Dr. Pinot. assistant medical officer at at. James's Infirmary, said deceased was dead when brought In about 5 o'clock on Saturday night. She was a health,. developed girl. The cause of death was multiple injuries.
James David Norvell, a postman Swaby-road. stated that about 745 p.m. on Saturday he was a pitmen- ens 67 bus from the direction it Bellevue-road towards Clapham Be saw a motor cycle coming from the direction of Bolingbroke-grove. Be the speed of the cycle at 30 to 35 miles an hour.
THE TRAGIC SWING.
The cycle had passed the water trough and was going in the direction of Bellevue Bridge, until the driver seemed to suddenly change direction. She swung to her left. As a result the cycle came directly in front of the bus, about two yards away. It seemed as though the cyclist was trying to get round It. The the collision occurred. Had the cyclist kept straight on her original course there could have been no collision, as there was no other traffic about.
Witness heard the bus driver sound his hooter. He felt that the brakes were on as the bus came down from Bellevue Bridge. The driver pulled up immediately after the accident, stopping in six feet. He did his utmost, in witness's opinion, to avoid the accident, pulling over to his right and mounting the kerb with his off-side front wheel.
Witness dismounted from the bus and Illen saw a young man, whom he was WM had been riding pillion on the cycle. unconscious on the ground. Designed was lying near him. The cycle was beneath the wheels of the bus. Witness for the ambulance, which air- Mel quickly. In his opinion the driver of the bus did everything he possibly could to avoid the accident.
Replying to Mr. D. Weitzman, counsel representing the relatives of deceased. witness said the cycle and cyclist were carried Se yards by the bus alter the collision. The cyclist ran into the bus. bringing about a semi-head-on collision. Witness noticed that the handle bars of the motor cycle were badly damaged, but he did not notice that the rear part of the cycle was also damaged.
By Mr. C. . 7. A. Doughty, counsel the L.G.O.C. The bus was on it. proper side of the road, and if the deceased had gone on in the normal manner and had taken the bend of the read on be? near "leo where there was plenty Of room. the:cclelent would net have ha)-! happened.
MASTER MARINER'S STORY
Richard Nicholson, a master mariner, 115 St James's Road, Wandsworth Common, said he was a passenger on the bus. Be sellesatett it. swine at S Cr '1 miles an hour, He the bus suddenly swerve to its oft-lids. It then nulled yr, In a of Nest 10ft. Witness at angle down be me what war the Before Mr. Campion at the South sager sew deggeged and a man tern Court on Thursday, William w ider Upg A cycle was lying Edward SPerks elmmonds. engineer's between the two front wheels.
By M Weitsman: It appeared as though the bus had pushed the bicycle about 10 feet.
PC Loveless, 111 W, said was called and found deceased lying on her back about two yards from the bus. A man was lying injured near her. The front off-side wheel of the bus was about haf a yard on the footway, opposite No. 157 [?] Nightingale-lane. In a statement the driver said, "I was coming down Nightingale-lane at about 30 miles an hour when a motor cycle approaching cut across in front of me. I did my best to avoid it by swerving but I think I struck it with my starting handle."
In reply to the coroner, witness said both 49 and 67 route buses had to pass near where the accident happened, each then taking a different direction. It was possible that deceased thought the bus in front of her was a "49" instead of a "67".
BUS DRIVER GIVES EVIDENCE
Mr William Lewis F[?], 24 New-street, Kensington, the driver of the bus said he drove steadily from Bellevue Bridge, as he had a stop shortly ahead. At the bend of Bolingbroke-grove he saw he had a clear road. A moment later he saw a motor cycle coming across Bolingbroke-grove. Witness sounded his horn and pulled over o the centre of the road. That gave the cyclist plenty of room to pass the bus on its near side.
She turned to opposite side of the witness, and cut right across the front of the bus. Witness applied his brakes and swung over to his off-side to try and avoid a collision, but the cycle came on obliquely and struck the front of the bus.
He estimated deceased's speed at 20 miles an hour. When deceased turned in front of the bus she was not more than three yards ahead of the bonnet. He pulled up immediately, his off-side front wheel resting on the footway.
By Mr. Doughty: He had been 15 years in the service of the L.G.O.C, had a clean licence, and held two "safety first" diplomas.
CORONER ON AN "OBVIOUS MISTAKE"
The coroner said it was a case of the footpaths were not inconvenienced, a girl motor cyclist, doubtless an expert motor cyclist, riding with a pillion passenger. Unfortunately she was killed., and also unfortunately her passenger was badly Injured, as a result of the collision with the bus.
Deceased was probably mistaken in the route she thought the bus might follow, and that was the cause the collision. The evidence was clear that the bus driver did all in his power to avert the accident. He pulled up in his own length after swerving to miss the cycle, and became stationery on his offside footpath.
It was quite obvious that deceased mistook the "67" bus for a "49," which diverged at the cross roads in different and that she steered her course accordingly, unfortunately, with tragic consequences.
The Jury returned a verdict of "Accidental Death," and exonerated the bus driver from all blame.
The funeral takes place at Streatham Cemetery to-morrow, leaving deceased's home shortly before noon.
[BNA: Link.]
CRASHED INTO 'BUS.
Girl Motor Cyclist Was Killed.
PILLION RIDER INJURED.
"Ethel not to blame," said the young man pillion rider, now in hospital, concerning Miss Ethel Florence Hearn (22), shop assistant, of 868, Garratt-lane, Tooting, who was killed last Saturday night while driving a motor-cycle in Nightingale-lane. Wandsworth Common. when she came into contact with an omnibus.
Miss Hearn was killed on the spot, and a young man named Fennell, who was riding pillion, is suffering from serious injuries.
The inquest on Miss Hearn was held Tuesday at Battersea. Mr. Ingleby the coroner, sitting with a Jury,
Richard Hearn, blacksmith, of Garratt Lane, Tooting, the father of the girl was very distressed. He said his daughter had ridden a motor-cycle for three years, and knew well the district where the accident happened.
Witness had seen the young man pillion-rider in hospital, and he said, "Ethel is not to blame. She was going to stop on the near-side of the road, when the 'bus hit her sideways."
Dr. Piggott, of St James' Hospital, said the girl was brought in dead on Saturday. The post-mortem examination revealed a fracture on the left side of the skull and a ruptured spleen. Death was due to shock from injuries.
EYEWITNESS'S STORY
A graphic account of the accident given by Mr. James David Norval, a postman, of Swaby-road. Earlsfield. He stated that he was riding on top of a 'bus. No. 67, going towards Clapham. At the junction of Bolingbroke-grove and Nightingale-lane witness noticed a motor-cycle about 60 yards away, coming along Bolingbroke-grove. The cycle had a pillion-rider.
"I should imagine." continued Mr. Norval, "that the cycle was doing from thirty to thirty-five miles an hour. It was following the direct route of a No. 49 'bus. As the cyclist approached the 'bus I was on, she suddenly altered her line of direction, going to the left, and crossing the bus about two yards in front of it. The 'bus driver sounded his horn and swerved to try and avoid a collision, but the cyclist crashed into the 'bus head on."
The Coroner: Supposing she had not turned at all, would she have cleared the 'bus? — Yes, by about three yards.
What did the driver do? — He had his 'bus braked all the way, and when he saw the cyclist coming straight for him he turned to the right, to try and avoid the collision.
Witness added that the 'bus driver pulled up in about 10 feet, first mount the pavement.
MISTOOK THE 'BUS
P.C. Durbridge, attached to Wandsworth Common Police Station, said he was caned to the scene after the accident. The explanation be had to offer of the affair was that the cyclist mistook the No. 87 'bus for a No 49. and when she discovered her mistake she tried to cut in front of the 'bus.
The Coroner: That would explain it.
Mr. William Lewis Plass. of New-street. Kennington, the driver of 'bus, said he saw the girl cyclist coming from Bolingbroke-grove, and he sounded his horn to give warning. " Was expecting her to turn to the right," added witness. "but when she turned to the left In front of my 'bus. I swerved away to try and avoid a collision, but it was impossible. I think the cycle caught my starting wheel."
DRIVER'S CLEAN RECORD.
Witness added that he was travelling St about ten miles an hour. and when cyclist cut in front of him she Vas three yards from the 'bus. He had been driving for 15 years and had a clean licence.
In summing up, the coroner remarked that the explanation of the accident was that the girl cyclist must have mistaken the 'bus, and when she found it was coming towards her she cut Its front.
"In my opinion," added Mr. Oddle, the 'bus driver did everything that was reasonable to avoid the accident."
The jury readily returned a verdict of "Accidental death," and exonerated the 'bus driver from all blame.
[BNA: Link.]
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