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U.S. NAVY DRIVER
FREE FROM BLAME
When he saw the young boy on a bicycle in the centre
of an intersection the driver swung his truck to the right.
The boy unexpectedly, turned back into the path of the
truck.
So said the driver Chief Petty Officer Charles Cardwell,
of the U.S.N. at the inquest held in Perth Courthouse to
day into the death of 10-year-old Gary Kesseli; of Elizabeth
Street, South Perth.
Acting Coroner Mansbridge re
turned the finding that Gary
Kessel, on March 4, at the inter
section of Canning Highway and
Douglas Avenue, came „ into col
lision with a U.S.N. truck when
riding his bicycle.
The boy received a compound frac
'ture of the base of the skull from
which he died at Perth Hospital on
the same day. Driver of the truck
was Charles Leonard Cardwell, of
the U.S.N.
Death was deemed to be acciden
tal and no blame was attached to the
driver.
The inquest was adjourned yester
day until today.
-Evidence given by the driver re
vealed that about 7.55 a.m. on March
4 he was driving along Canning
Highway.
When he approached Douglas Ave- |
nue he saw a boy riding a bicycle
across the intersection without slack
ening speed. I
The driver continued along Can- |
ning Highway and was near the in
tersection when he saw another young
boy in the centre of the road. I
He had not seen him come out of j
Douglas Avenue. . j
Cardwell swerved to the right to {
miss the boy, h'e said. The boy, how- ?
ever, turned back into the path .of [
the truck. j
He was driving about 25 m.p.h., ?
Cardwell said. I
Cardwell, in answer to Mr Drake- |
Brockman, said that if he had con- j
tinued on his right side there would !
not have been an accident. «
He also said that if the boy had j
continued across the highway he t
would not have hit him. I
[Before Acting Coroner W. . O. 1
Mansbridge, assisted by Sergeant R. {
M. Larsen; D. Walsh, with Lieut. Gor- g
don, U.S.N., for ? the driver of the I
truck; K. Drake-Brockman for the I
deceased's relatives.] t,
$