| Notes: | CMP. TC. 24/3/32 enlisted in the Queens Royal Regiment, 25/1/41 transferred to CMP. 19/8/41 Died. He was born in London SW and resided in Brighton. Casualty List 602, Home, Died Result of Accident, 19/8/1941, rank Cpl.
Richard Robert Charles Hager.
Extract from local newspaper.
Military Policeman killed, motorcycle accident on Lingfield-Copthorne Road, questions about road repairs. Questions about repairs to sections of the Lingfield-Copthorne road near the junction with West Park road, were asked at an inquest at Wallington on Thursday last week on Richard Robert Hagar, a corporal in the Corps of Military Police, who was killed in a road accident on the previous Tuesday. The County Coroner (Dr. Cyril Baron) sat without a jury and Mr E Lovell Hewitt (Reigate) represented the War Department. PC Beale said the main surface of the roadway was good, but on the south side there was a 3 ft strip of rough concrete, which was keyed to take a tarmac surface. At one end of this strip was a hydrant box and stopcock box, which projected one inch above the surface . The road was 20 feet wide at this point. Nine months of road repairs. PS Hills said in places the strip of concrete was two inches above the level of the remainder of the roadway. There were no warning signs that there might be danger to road users. The highway authorities had been engaged for nine months on repair work to this road and this was the first accident that had happened. He was called to the scene of the accident at 2.35 pm on the previous Tuesday. There were skid marks and cuts in the tarmac measuring 43 yards in length; these had been caused by the motorcycle ridden by Hager. CSM Bertram White, CMP said Hager, who was 28 years age, was a corporal in the Corps and his home was at Wandsworth. He had been in the Army since March, 1932 and had been riding a motorcycle since July last year. He had ridden continuously since then and was regarded as a safe driver. At rhe time of the accident he was on patrol duty. STEERING WOBBLE. L/Cpl Arthur James Curry said he was driving an Army lorry towards Newchapel cross roads at 25 miles per hour when a motorcyclist passed about 45 miles an hour after overtaking him the motorcyclist got on to the rough road surface and appeared to develop a wobble in the steering. He tried to right this, but his machine went over on its side and skidded along the road. The driver in an oncoming car swerved to the offside but the motor cyclist hit the side of the car. The rough surface was on the extreme off side and there was no need for the motor cyclist to have gone onto this when passing the lorry. Sgt Edward Murphy said the machine was on the crown of the road when it started to wobble and the rider appeared to lose control. Although he did his very best the car driver was unable t, o avoid the collision. L/Cpl Herbert Crossman another passenger in the lorry also gave evidence. Lt Reginald Bateman, RE a passenger in the car, said he thought the front wheel of the motorcycle hit the edge of the concrete strip or the stopcock box and the machine bounced away. The driver tried to turn the machine towards the centre of the road, but got into a terrific wobble, the machine bounced a few more times and then went over. His driver braked and turned to the raight, and the car was practically at a standstill when the motorcycle hit them Pte Cyril Thomas Eversfield, RASC driver of the car gave a similar testimony. An RAMC officer said Hager received a fractured skull and must have been killed instantaneously. "Accidental Death" verdict. The Coroner said one witness stated the motor cycle wobbled when he was on the crown of the road and the other that he was on or near the concrete strip and it seemed somewhat remarkable this state of things had existed for this length of time. There were apparently no warning notices of any kind. He thought it seemed reasonably clear from the evidence that the difficulties which the motor cyclist met with were caused when he hit one of these obstructions. Never the less, it appeared it was quite unnecessary for him to go on to the part of the road at all he had ample room to pass the lorry. It was clear neither the lorry driver nor the driver of the car was in the least to blame for what occurred and his verdict would be one of "Accidental death". |
UNITED KINGDOM
