Turvey Bridge, c.1905-1910 [X396/266]
Thursday
13th January 1916: An inquest has heard that Private Isaac
Nelms, a 19 year old soldier from Stockport serving with the 2/6th Cheshires died
following and accident with a motor-bus at Turvey on Sunday night. The driver
of the bus, Frank Thomas James Edwards, told the inquest that he was passing
over Turvey bridge at about 9.45pm when he saw a soldier on a cycle approaching
from the opposite direction. The cyclist was going fairly straight until he was
within a yard or so of the bus when he seemed to lose control of his machine
and swerve. He missed the front of the bus, but he then heard a noise at the
side and at the same time hit the bridge in trying to avoid him. The driver and
conductor went back and found Private Nelms lying on the road about a yard from
the wall on his proper side of the road. He could not see any marks to suggest
he had run over the soldier. The man was got onto the bus and taken to
hospital. Mr. Edwards stated that there was plenty of room for Private Nelms to
pass and that his bus was lit by two paraffin lights at the front.
Police Constable Bradshaw of
Turvey was informed of the accident and saw Private Nelms in the motorbus. He
spoke to the soldier who said he was going to Bedford. His clothing was dirty
as though he had rolled over, but there was no mark to show if the bus had run
over him. The wheel marks of the bus were well onto the left side of the road
and the bicycle was not damaged. Dr. Spence, a house surgeon at the County
Hospital carried out a post mortem and found serious internal injuries which could
only have been caused by great pressure. The Coroner said that although there
was no evidence to account for these injuries, it seemed almost certain that
the hind wheel of the bus must have run over him. It appeared a pure accident
for which nobody was to blame. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
Source:
Bedfordshire Times, 14th January 1916
No comments:
Post a Comment