Donald Vincent Cameron

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Court Appearance - Donald Vincent Cameron - 1938

The Murrumbidgee Irrigator (Leeton, NSW 1915 - 1954), Tue 10 May 1938, Page 2

Transcription:
"Result of Inexperience," Says Coroner
Raymond O'Brien's Death
"IT would be difficult to come to any definite reason for this accident except for the fact that the driver must have been rather inexperienced,' said the Narandera coroner, Mr. Dickinson, in returning a finding of accidental death yesterday in connection with the accident on the Leeton-Narandera Road on May 1st, when Raymond O'Brien (16) received fatal injuries from which he succumbed in the Narandera District Hospital.
The Coroner added that he did not think that the speed was excessive, apparently the driver of the car, Don Cameron allowed the car to gather too much speed before attempting to check it. He did not think this was one of the numerous cases one heard so much about, which were caused by young men and boys travelling at an unnecessary high speed. He thought that the accident was caused through the inexperience of the driver, and would refrain from any other comment other than that deceased accidentally met his death from a fractured spine and injuries to the brain when the car in which he was travelling from Leeton to Narandera, on May 1st, capsized.
The first witness was Plainclothes Constable Love, of Narandera, who deposed that on May 1, in response to a message, he proceeded to the scene of the accident on the Leeton-Narandera road about eight miles from Narandera and there saw a Ford A. model car, the hood, wind screen and mudguards of which were badly damaged. He was shown the spot where the vehicle had overturned and from distance of about 15 yards back from where the vehicle had overturned, he noticed fresh
skid marks. They were consistent with the vehicle having broadsided for that distance. On examining the locality and the tracks of the vehicle he would say that the vehicle came down the hill at a fairly fast rate on the wrong side of the road and it would appear shortly after the driver got to the bottom of the rise the tracks indicated that the driver endeavored to come to his correct side of the road and when about the centre of the formation it would appear the car began to skid. Those skidmarks led a distance of about 45 yards, returning back to the right-hand side of the road, where the car overturned. In his opinion the vehicle got out of control shortly after the driver endeavored to pull to his correct side of the road. Witness later saw the driver, at Narandera hospital, Don Vincent Cameron, and he stated he was a licensed driver and had his license about two months. He stated that when driving the car, accompanied by the others, after coming down the hill the car swayed and skidded and he was unable to straighten it up, and on applying the brakes, the car overturned, turning right over and back on to its wheels and facing in the opposite direction. The road there was in fairly good order being newly made and he would say it was a little gravelly off the main formation. Witness saw the body of deceased at the hospital morgue at 7.15 p.m. on May 1st and identified him to the coroner. The deceased had been a passenger in the car that overturned.
Dr. WAINE, saw deceased on May 1st, about 3.10 p.m. at the district hospital. His general condition was very bad, pulse rate about 120 and deeply unconscious. Had been bleeding from both ears and mouth. There was a marked abrasion over the left side of the face and his pupils were pin points, indicating probable haemorrhage in and around the base of the brain. There was marked abnormality and displacement of the spine at the level of the 10th and 11th dorsal vertebrae. He died about an hour after admission. Cause of death was fractured base of skull and fractured spine.
DONALD VINCENT CAMERON was the next witness. He deposed that he was employed as motor car
mechanic, residing at Leeton. He was the driver of the car in question, a model A. Ford. His father had given him permission to use the car on Sunday, May 1st., and he was coming into Narandera on a visit. He was accompanied by Harry Maltman, R .Connors, Athol Keeley, Tom Randall and deceased. They left Leeton in the afternoon and the car was running all right, was in good order in regard to brakes, etc., and everything went well until descending the sandhills road. He thought the car was gathering too much pace, about 35 miles an hour, and he applied the brakes. The car then started to skid and while trying to right the vehicle he must have swung it around a bit too much. The back wheels skidded sideways in the gravel and the car turned over. He fell out as the car turned over. The car then came to rest on its wheels again. Glass from the windscreen caused a cut on witness' leg. He was dizzy, but could stand for a little while. O'Brien was on the ground on the driver's side of the car about 1 1/2 yards away from the car. Witness fell beside him and his arm was resting across O'Brien's body. The others were at the back or around the other side of it. A passing motor cyclist went into Narandera to summons the ambulance.
THOMAS RANDALL deposed he resided at Leeton and was one of the party that accompanied Cameron into Narandera on May 1. He had been out previously in the same car and he considered Cameron a good driver. As far as he knew Cameron had no previous accidents. Witness was sitting in the front seat. The first intimation he had that anything was wrong was when the car got into loose gravel and skidded. The back of the car swung around and it turned over, witness being thrown out and receiving a fractured collar bone and cuts to the head. He could see that O'Brien had been very seriously injured. They were all sober and none of them had any drink that day. They were all teetotallers.
HARRY MALTMAN deposed that he was a butcher by occupation, residing at Leeton. He remembered the accident on May 1. and had gone with the other members of the party on his own accord. The man Connors that was given a lift, was seen sitting down by the roadside when they first noticed him. He waved to them and asked for a lift and the driver stopped and picked him up. Going down the hill at the sandhills he noticed the car beginning to sway as they got down near the bottom. Witness was not thrown out of the car when it turned over. As soon as he felt the car tip, he doubled up on the floor. Witness had previously been out with Cameron driving and he considered him a good driver.
This concluded the evidence and the Coroner then gave his verdict as referred to above.