Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of John TEMPLETON, Tunbridge, Tas.

DEATH FROM SHOCK,
CORONER FINDS
The District Coroner ( Mr. T. G. Flynn) found at an inquest yesterday that Leonard John Templeton of Gumly died on May 26 from shock due to multiple injuries he received in a  road accident on that day. Templeton, a laborer, was 61 years of age. Evidence was given at the Inquest by a doctor, the driver of a vehicle involved in the smash, a passenger in  the vehicle, and a police constable.
Police evidence revealed that at about 9.30 pm. on May 26, Templeton was riding his motor cycle east along the Tarcutta Road about a mile from Wagga when his bike smashed into a lorry driven by Thomas Mathew, of Adelong.
Facing west
Constable M. Hickson, of Wagga Police, said that after the accident he found the motor lorry facing west on the bitumen of the road, fhe near side wheels were just off the edge of the bitumen, he said. Constable Hickson said he saw a solo motor cycle standing about four feet from the front of the lorry and on the centre line. There was slight damage to the  front of the lorry be said. He told the Court that from the position of both vehicles he ascertained the point of impact as some where on the motor cycle's incorrect side of the  road. He said that Templeton had been drinking prior to the accident.
The driver of the motor lorry, Thomas Mathew, said he was bringing a load of sheep to Wagga from Adelong when the accident occurred. He said he saw a light approaching him  on his side of the road and 'thought it was going to turn off the road to the right When the light was about 50 yards away he slowed the truck down and changed to a lower gear. Mathews said the motor bike then swung back towards him. He said that when the motor bike crashed into the lorry, the lorry was stationary or barely moving. After the impact,  Mathews and his passenger. Patrick Andrew Beck, also of Adelong, ran to the front of the lorry and saw Templeton lying unconscious on the road. Patrick Beck gave similar evidence. He said the lorry had stopped then the motor cycle crashed into it.  Dr. Allan Thomas Woods said be was present at the Wagga Base Hospital when the ambulance  brought Templeton in. Dr. Woods said that Templeton had died on arrival at the hospital.
He described his injuries as shock, secondary to multiple head Injuries and compound fractures of the right leg. Additional to his finding that Templeton had died as a result of the injuries he re ceived from the smash, Mr. Flynn found that there was no blame attributable to Mathews as the driver of the motor lorry.
'It is another of those unfortunate cases where the consumption of liquor is the actual cause of death,' he said.