Widespread sympathy was aroused in Rushden this week by the news of a tragic fatality in Bedford-road on Monday morning, when a ten-years-old girl, whose family have only recently arrived in the district from one of the north country distressed areas, was killed by a car, which skidded off the wet road and crossed the footpath.

The little girl. May Davison, was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Davison, of Avenue-road, Court-estate, Rushden, and lately of Jarrow, where Mr. Davison was formerly a shipyard Worker.

May was walking from her home towards Rushden, at 8.45a.m., and was accompanied by her 13-years-old sister, Ethel, and her brother, Jimmy. The little boy is believed to have been saved from injury by the fact that he dropped behind the others, in order to pick up an umbrella which one of them had dropped.

The accident occurred just above the Tecnic Boot Co's, works, where the children were walking along the path when a car driven by Victor Charles Puddefoot, of 33, Colton-road, Friern Barnet, skidded on the wet road, mounted the path and struck both girls, pinning May beneath the axle.

Died in Ambulance

May received head injuries and died while being taken in the Rushden ambulance to Northampton General Hospital. Her sister received abrasions to the head, hands and knees. She was also taken to the hospital, but not detained.

Dr. Topping was on the scene of the accident and Mr. A. Prigmore was in charge of the ambulance.

Horace Abbey, of Bedford, a lorry driver, employed by Messrs. Collis Bros., Bedford, stopped his vehicle and gave assistance. The driver of the car involved in the accident also stopped almost immediately and gave every possible assistance.

The little boy, Jimmy, told a reporter that after the smash Ethel was pinned under the front, and May under the back of the car.

"Ethel turned a somersault" he said. "I was so frightened that I ran home without waiting to see what else happened."

All the children attended the South End school.

The funeral is to take place at Rushden to-day (Friday).

The Inquest

"I am perfectly satisfied that it was an accident which might have happened to anybody," said Inspector H. J. Lee, of Rushden, when asked by the coroner (Mr. A. J. Darnell) at the inquest at Northampton on Tuesday whether any police proceedings were likely to follow.

When the Inspector described how after the accident he tested the car under similar conditions to those which existed at the time of the fatality and the Coroner remarked that it was risky, the Inspector replied. "I took the risk."

John Davison, labourer, Avenue-road, Court Estate, Rushden, who identified the body as that of his child, may, said that at 8.20 a.m. on Monday his three children left home, James, aged eight, to go to school, Ethel, aged 13, and May, ten. Ethel was taking May to the Wellingborough Cottage Hospital, where she was under weekly-treatment. May wore spectacles, but her hearing was good.

Dr. D. H. Black, house surgeon at Northampton General Hospital, said the girls were admitted at 9.40 a.m. on Monday, May being then dead. There were superficial abrasions on the right side of the cheek and jaw, and a slight bruise on the right arm, but no other external marks of violence. A post-mortem examination revealed that the cause of death was shock due to haemorrhage, the result of ruptures of the spleen and liver. The injuries were consistent with a violent collision.

Her elder sister had abrasions, but was able to return home by ambulance.

In answer to a question by the Coroner, the father said that Ethel was "going on pretty well."

The Accident

James Patrick Curran, labourer, whose home address is in Galway, said at 8.45a.m. on Monday he was walking along the Rushden-Bedford road on the left-hand footpath. There had been a heavy shower, and the road was very wet.

Just after a car, driven by a lady, had overtaken him, and proceeded towards Bedford, he noticed a boy and two girls approaching on the footpath 50 or 60 yards ahead, and over the brow of the hill there appeared a motor car, travelling in the same direction as the children.

When within a few yards of them the car seemed to stand still for a moment, and then to turn round several times like a top. Its movements brought it nearer to the children, and one of the mudguards hit the elder girl and threw her into the air.

The car, which had mounted the footpath, also hit May, who was thrown into the ditch. The car finished up with its front axle pinning May beneath it, and it appeared to have run over the child.

With others he helped to lift the car off the girl. He could not judge the speed of the car, which was only in his sight for three or four seconds before the accident. There was only the driver in the car.

Inspector Lee said he saw the driver, Victor Charles Puddefoot, of 33, Carlton-road, Friern Barnet, and questioned him about the accident. Puddefoot made a statement, in which he said that he left home at 6.45 a.m., and was going to Nottingham. He knew the road well, using it every week. He approached a bend at 40 to 45 miles an hour, and negotiated it all right. He then saw the children on the footpath on his right hand side.

Pinned by Bumper

The car developed a skid, and he attempted to correct it by steering, but failed, and the car turned round in a spin, mounted the footpath, and hit the children. One little girl's legs were pinned by the bumper.

The only cause of the accident, said the driver in reply to the Coroner, was the skid, which he did his best to correct, but was helpless.

Inspector Lee, resuming his evidence, said that after the accident he got Puddefoot to drive him over the scene of the accident under similar conditions to those at the time of the accident. Two tests were made at 40 to 50 miles an hour, and first the footbrake and then the handbrake proved thoroughly efficient. He then drove the car himself, and it was efficient.

He thought that the skid must have put the car completely out of control. In answer to a question put by the father to the Coroner, Puddefoot said the skid at first was a slight one, and he tried to correct it by steering, but it got worse.

Police Constable Tebbey spoke of skid marks on the grass verge.

The jury returned a verdict that death was due to shock following the injuries, and associated themselves with the Coroner in an expression of sympathy with the parents.

May Davison, of Rushden

Some of her classmates at Rushden South End School were among the many who attended the funeral on Friday of ten-years-old May Davison, little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Davison, of Court Estate, Rushden, whose tragic death, earlier in the week, aroused widespread sympathy.

The funeral service was conducted at the cemetery by the Rev. L. Marsden Allen, Methodist minister, and the mourners were Mr. and Mrs. J. Davison (father and mother), Thomas, John and Wilfred Davison (brothers), Annie Davison (sister), Mrs. Curran and Miss Annie Davison, Jarrow (aunts), Mrs. Dent, London (aunt), Mrs. Mullen, Wolverton (friend).

A party of May's school friends, from Class IV at South End School, were present at the cemetery, accompanied by a former teacher at the school, Miss Ball, and there were many wreaths from friends at the school and at Court Estate. One wreath bore the inscription "In affectionate remembrance of May, who was one of us - South End School, Class IV."

The funeral arrangements were carried out by Messrs. A. Sanders, Ltd.