“An accident that should not have happened” was the comment of the Deputy Coroner for East Northants (Mr. Ralph Ward) after hearing evidence about the death of Patricia Margaret Gates, aged 9 years, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Gates, which occurred when the child was cycling on the Bedford Road near Rushden last Friday afternoon.

(The 1st column is on the fold of the paper so half of each line is missing. I have gone to the second column.)

Heard A “Rush”

  Peggy Rollings, of 24, Albion-place, Rushden, described how the two children rode towards the Court Estate turn.  She said she was near the kerb and Pat was on the outside.  A lorry came towards them and made a noise, but she did not remember if it passed them.  She heard a “rush”, something hit her behind the ear and she heard her mudguard crack.

  She was not knocked off her cycle, but got off, and saw Pat lying on the road near her cycle.  An Army lorry was standing across the road.

  In reply to the Coroner she said she did not remember Pat and herself bumping into one another, though they were not far apart.  She did not see Pat swerve.

  Questioned by Mr. Gammage, she said she did not see or hear another lorry coming from behind.

“Seemed To Wobble”

  Edward Raymond Walker, of 68, Coleman-road, Leicester a lorry driver, said he was driving from Bedford to Rushden at about 3.15 and saw the girls riding towards him.  They were about 100 yards away when he first took notice of them, and were riding quite normally side by side, very close to the kerb.

  An Army vehicle approached at a normal speed and pulled out to pass the girls.  The child on the outside seemed to wobble into the lorry’s front wheel, and the cycle was caught in the back wheel and, with the rider, pushed along by it.  The lorry then seemed to stop and swing round.

  There was plenty of room for the Army lorry driver to pass the girls, and there was no question of “cutting in.”  The driver gave the cyclists enough clearance, but did not go right on to the offside of the road.  Witness had plenty of time to pull up his own vehicle.  He did not think the Army driver had any chance of avoiding the accident.

A Straight Road

  Answering Inspector Valentine the witness said he did not see another vehicle going towards Rushden.  The Army driver was fairly close to the children when he pulled out.  The road was quite straight for about two miles, and the speed of the Army lorry was not over 30 m.p.h.

  The witness agreed with Mr. Gammage that if the child had not wobbled there would have been no accident.

  Mr. Gates: Had he pulled out a little more there would still have been no accident?

  Witness: Yes.

  He could have pulled out more? – Yes.

  P.C. Skells said the accident occurred in the parish of Rushden.  He found the truck standing across the road and a cycle lying behind the front near wheel, just clear of the lorry.  There were six brake or skid marks on the road, which was 22½ feet wide.

  The longest mark – made by the left-hand rear wheel – was 61 ft. long commencing 2 ft. 6 in. from the left-hand verge and continuing at that distance from the kerb for 40 ft.  It then went to the right.

  The vehicle had made a half-turn and finished up right across the road.  There was no mark on the road to indicate the exact point of impact.

Driver’s Evidence

  Pte. George E. Gallion, of the U.S.A. Army, said that as he was driving towards Bedford on Friday afternoon he saw the two girl cyclists.  Before he got to the girls another vehicle came from the Bedford direction and passed him.  After that “truck” had passed he was about 300 yards from the girls.  He was travelling at 25 m.p.h. in fourth gear – he seldom drove in the top (fifth) gear, which was not used under 30 m.p.h.

  He started to pull out while he was plenty far enough away to allow for pulling out.  One little girl was riding in front of the other in single file.  The girl at the back “quivered” a little as if she had heard the overtaking lorry.  She appeared a little nervous.  He was then probably about 20 yards away, and put on the brakes.

  After the girl “quivered” she turned out “quite a bit” and he put on the brake hard.  The application of the brake started pulling his vehicle to the left, so he pulled the steering wheel to the right.  The truck went into a skid and caught the girl then swung to the right and stopped.

  Replying to Inspector R. E. Valentine, Pte. Gallion agreed that if he had not applied his brakes he might have got past the cyclists, as he believed he had sufficient room.

  Mr. Gates asked how the witness accounted for skid marks of 61 feet if he was travelling at only 25 m.p.h.

  Witness said he could not, but had not himself measured the marks.

  Mr. Gates also commented on the skid marks for 40 feet only 2 ft. 6 in from the verge.

  Witness replied that he was further than that away from the verge when he got to the cyclists.

“Not Quite Happy”

  The Coroner said he thought it was best to pull out even before putting on the brake – Witness said it was instinctive for him to put his foot on the brake at the slightest sign of even a dog in the road.

  The Coroner said it seemed like an accident that should not have happened.  The road was straight and no other traffic was nearby.  The one independent witness had said that the accident could not have been avoided but evidence on the point seemed a little conflicting.  He was not quite happy regarding the evidence as to the clearance given by the driver of the U.S. lorry but that did not appear to be a direct cause of the accident.  The verdict would be “Accidental death.”

  The Coroner and Mr. Gammage expressed sympathy with the bereaved relatives.

……………..

Funeral of Patricia Gates

  Flowers sent by the children of South End School lined the path to St. Mary’s Church, Rushden, on Tuesday afternoon, when the funeral service of Patricia Margaret Gates, victim of a road accident last Friday, was held there.

  The service was conducted by the Rector (Rev. E. A. Green), and the hymns, “Jesu, Lover of my soul” and “The King of Love,” were accompanied on the pianoforte by Pat’s teacher, Mrs. R. Bennett.  The interment followed at the Rushden cemetery in the presence of the following mourners: Mr. and Mrs. H. T. Gates (parents), John Gates (brother), Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Barcock, Sharnbrook, Mr. and Mrs. H. S. Gates (grandparents), Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Martin and Jennifer (uncle, aunt and cousin), Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Barcock, Sharnbrook, Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Bugby (uncles and aunts).