The impossibility of giving a signal was mentioned as one factor in the case when the inquest on Ernest Edwin Cross (47) of 96, Washbrook-road, Rushden, was held at Rushden Police Station on Saturday morning.

  Mr. Cross, a well-known bandsman, was knocked down by an American lorry when cycling on the Bedford road about 2½ miles from Rushden.  He had lived with his parents, being unmarried, and worked for Messrs. Eaton and Co., boot manufacturers.  For many years he played the drums in Rushden Town Band and appeared with Mr. John Cooke’s orchestra and other local combinations.  He was a member of the Rushden E. Company, Home Guard.

Multiple Injuries

  Capt. J. S. Parker conducted the inquiry.  The relatives were represented by Mr. Lionel Poole, of the Boot Operatives’ Union, and the American Authorities by Mr. T. Faulkner Gammage, solicitor, of Northampton.  Inspector R. E. Valentine represented the Police, and P.C. Tebbey was the Coroner’s officer.

  Edwin Archie Webster, of 86, Washbrook-road, Rushden, a shoe hand identified the body as that of his brother-in-law and said that on Thursday deceased was in his normal good health; he had good eyesight and hearing and used his cycle almost every day.  Deceased was unmarried and lived with his mother and father.

  Dr. Dorothy Pickard, of Rushden, said she saw the body on the side of the Bedford road.  There were multiple injuries, including dislocation of the neck, and death would have been instantaneous.

Overtaking

  Richard Tibbetts Hunt, of the United States Forces, a truck driver, said that about 6.45 p.m. on Thursday he was driving a 2½ ton truck along the Bedford road, going south.  He had got in the middle of a convoy to which he did not belong and was gradually overtaking one vehicle after another.

  When near the Avenue-road junction he pulled out to overtake a truck in front of him, and when nearly past it he felt a bump.  Almost immediately afterwards he looked round and saw that the truck he had overtaken was going over the grass verge on the left-hand side of the road.  He pulled up.

  His own truck was similar to the truck he was overtaking; they were 7ft. 4ins. wide.  When starting to overtake the other truck he could not see the cyclist, and it was not until after the accident that he knew a cyclist was there.  Both trucks had left-hand drives, and the front driver could not give him a signal that he was pulling out to pass a cyclist.  His own speed was about 30 m.p.h.  there was plenty of room for two trucks side by side.

No Need To Hurry

  In reply to Inspector Valentine witness said the road was straight and the visibility good.  At the time he felt the bump he had not attempted to pull in to return to the left-hand side of the road.

  Inspector Valentine: Was there anything important why you should be in a hurry to get to your destination?

  Witness: No, sir, not at the time.

  Hunt added that his truck was not loaded.  He was not fully over to the left-hand side of the road before he started to overtake.

  Answering Mr. Poole, he said there was a speedometer on the truck.

Lost Control

  Henry Curtis Holley, a coloured U.S. soldier, said he was driving in the convoy at 25 miles per hour about 45 yards behind the truck in front of him.  Near the Avenue-road turn be saw a cyclist in front, going in the same direction and well over on the left-hand side.  When about 30ft. behind the cyclist he began to pull out, and the front part of his lorry had actually passed the cycle when he felt Hunt’s lorry – which he had not seen – hit him.  Hunt’s left-hand rear wheel hit witness’s right-hand front wheel and caused him to lose control.  His lorry shot to the left, and on trying to put his foot on the brake he put it on the accelerator instead, the truck going across the verge and into a garden.

  At that moment he did not know he had hit the cyclist.

  Answering Inspector Valentine, Holley said he had no passenger on the truck and no means of giving a signal to anyone at the rear that he was pulling out.  The trucks were marked “Left-hand drive: no signals.”

  Mr. Poole remarked on a truck going at 30 miles per hour overtaking a truck going at 25 miles per hour, and the Coroner commented that estimates of speed were never very exact.

“Rubbed Together”

  Ernest Williams, another coloured U.S. driver, said he was driving a truck immediately behind Holley, about 45 yards away.  Hunt’s truck overtook him and pulled in slightly to the left, but not far enough to see past Holley’s truck on the left-hand side.  Holley started to pull out and witness then saw the cyclist.

  Holley’s truck and Hunt’s truck rubbed together, Hunt’s going to the right and Holley’s to the left.  They came together again and then Holley’s truck turned sharply to the left.  Witness saw it go over a pedal cycle and also saw a man rolling on the ground.

  P.C. Tebbey said the road was 23 ft. wide, with a grass verge on the left 20 ft. wide.  The cycle was partly on the kerb and partly on the verge, completely smashed.  Deceased was 50 ft. from the cycle and 17 ft. from the kerb, lying face downwards near the dyke.  The cycle lay at the point of impact.  The lorry was loaded with 4½ tons.

Could Not Give Signal

  The Coroner, entering a verdict of “Accidental death,” said that probably owing to the fact that these lorries had left-hand drive the driver of the truck which actually struck the deceased was unable to give any signal that he was pulling out, and the other driver did not see that there was a cyclist on the road before he started to overtake.

  Mr. Gammage said that so far as the U.S. Army was concerned in the accident they wanted him to express to the relatives their regret.  They were very sorry for this unfortunate accident.