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Edwin Smith

Age: 24

Sex: male

Date: 8 Jul 1955

Place: Iver Lane, Iver, Buckinghamshire

Edwin Smith was knocked down by a car in Iver Lane, Iver, as he walked home from a pub with his brother shortly before midnight on 9 June 1955.

His brother said that they had been drinking in the Railways Arms in Uxbridge for about an hour, having had about two pints each, and that when they left to catch the bus home they were perfectly sober. He said that they got the bus from Uxbridge Station but got off at the wrong stop in Iver Lane by mistake and had to walk the remaining half-mile home along Iver Lane in Iver.

It was noted that there was no pavement on the side of the road where they were walking. They had lived in a caravan site in Ford Lane, Iver.

Edwin Smith's brother said that after walking a few yards he heard a car approaching from behind and so they walked in single file. However, he said, 'The car went by and I heard a bang. My brother was lying in the road with his arms out. The car stopped and a man with glasses got out. He said to me, 'What went wrong?'. I told him, 'You have killed my brother'. He said he would fetch the police. He drove off and I never saw him again.

After being knocked over Edwin Smith was taken to Hillingdon Hospital but was found to be dead on arrival.

At Edwin Smith's inquest his brother described the man who had been driving the car that hit his brother as tall and elderly.

The police said that a broadcast for the elderly man and his car was made but that there was no response.

The pathologist that carried out the post mortem on Edwin Smith said that he thought that Edwin Smith had been struck on his right side and thrown on his face and that he had probably been dragged along the road. The pathologist said that the impact must have been violent and that his death had been caused by the rupture of the main artery leading to the heart due to a fracture of the spine.

After hearing the evidence at the inquest the Coroner said, 'Don't assume that because the driver of the car has run away from his responsibilities that he is to blame for the accident. Nothing has been heard of him so far but I know you will share my hope that he will be traced. His conduct is open to grave criticism. In this country a person involved in an accident has a lawful obligation to report to the police. He is expected to render what help and assistance he can to the injured person no matter who is to blame for the mishap'.

An open verdict was returned at the inquest.

Edwin Smith and his brother were both gypsys. Edwin Smith had been a metal dealer.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

see Uxbridge & W. Drayton Gazette - Friday 08 July 1955