Gertrude Cooke

Gertrude Cooke was found injured in the road near the top of Highfield Hill, Lydney on the main South Wales road on Monday 24 July 1950 at about 10.30pm.

She had serious head injuries as well as other injuries and it was thought that she had been hit by a vehicle.

She was taken to the local hospital where she died early on Tuesday 25 July 1950.

The police made inquiries in an effort to trace the vehicle thought to have been involved but without any luck.

Gertrude Cooke had lived in Lensbrook Cottage near Blakeney. She had just been to see some friends at Fox Hill in Highfield Hill in Lydney. After they parted the man at Fox Hill said that they said goodnight to her and saw her head off up the hill towards the point where the pavement ran into the bank and ended.

He said that immediately afterwards that a car passed him going slowly up the hill and that a lorry then overtook it. He said that he stopped to watch and then noticed the lights of another car travelling down the hill towards the two vehicles and said that he thought that the lorry had had to swerve in quickly to avoid the on-coming car but cleared it and that he then walked on. He said that he saw nothing of Gertrude Cooke during that moment and didn't know anything had happened to her.

The man later said that the point where Gertrude Cooke was knocked down was a bottle neck where the pavement ended and described it as a death trap. He said that there was only enough room for two vehicles to pass and that it was a nightmare walking down there when there was much traffic.

The driver of the first car, a man that lived at The Villa in Chewstoke, Somerset said that he had been in the car that the lorry overtook. He said that the lorry had been a big open vehicle with a high cab and that there had only been one man in it and suggested that the driver might have had difficulty in seeing something on his near side.

He said that the lorry had been stationery in a drive on the steeper part of the hill and had come out behind him and had started to overtake.

He said that he then saw someone in the lights of an on-coming car about 30-40 yards ahead between the lorry and the hedge. He said that at the time that it occurred to him that it was a 'near thing' and said that he had said to his passenger, 'look at that'. He said that he could not see whether the lorry struck the pedestrian or not. He said that he then approached the spot slowly and then saw someone in the road in his headlights.

A policeman that was called out said that when he arrived at the scene that he found Gertrude Cookelying on the left-hand side of the road opposite a house called 'Highways'. He said that she was diagonally across the road with her feet on the verge. He said that they then made her comfortable and that a doctor and an ambulance were then sent for.

The policeman said that the road was 18 feet wide at the point where there was no footpath and although there was limited street lighting, it had not been turned on at the time.

The police also added that they had made efforts to trace the unknown lorry and driver, but without success.

A doctor that examined Gertrude Cooke's body said that she had an inch long wound in the back of her scalp and after carrying out a post mortem determined that her death was caused by laceration of the brain and a fracture of the base of the skull.

He said that her injuries were consistent with Gertrude Cooke having been struck by a projecting part of a vehicle, noting that they were too serious to have been caused by a fall.

The doctor noted that Gertrude Cooke was very short and that it might have been difficult for a driver to have seen her on his nearside.

After hearing the evidence, the jury returned a verdict that Gertrude Cooke had died from the injuries which the doctor reported, having been struck by an unknown lorry, driven by an unknown person.

It was additionally noted that the foreman of the jury was also the chairman of the Lydney District Council and that he informed the court that he had taken the sentiments of the man that lived at Fox Hill before the council and that they were appealing to the county council to continue the pavement on to Cross Hands.