Elizabeth Richards

Elizabeth Richards was found injured on Cronton Road near Cronton by her bicycle on 24 July 1961 and taken to Whiston Hospital where she died five days later on 29 July 1961.

A number of motorcycles were seen travelling along the road at about 70mph shortly before she was found in the road.

When Elizabeth Richards made a statement she said, 'I was riding along in my usual position about one foot from the left side of the road. I was just pedalling steadily. A motor-car overtook me going towards Liverpool. It didn't touch me. I don't remember any other traffic on the road just then. The next thing I remember was being at Whiston Hospital with a wound on my head'.

The pathologist said that Elizabeth Richards died from a pulmonary embolism due to thrombosis in the leg after having been confined to bed following a head injury.

The inquest heard that a line of motorcycles had been seen travelling at about 70mph along Cronton Road shortly before Elizabeth Richards was found.

A 20-year-old apprentice turner that lived in Holt Lane, Rainhill said that on the night of 24 July 1961 that he had been riding his motorcycle along Cronton Road at Cronton towards Liverpool with an apprentice electrician on the back when he took a left hand bend about 4ft from the nearside kerb and noticed a cyclist on the nearside of the road but about 6ft from the kerb, saying that the cyclist was more or less in the centre of his side of the road. He said that he knew that he was close to her when he passed but said that he didn’t notice any contact when he did so.

He said that further on along the road a friend of his that had been riding behind him on another machine overtook and stopped him and told him that there was a woman in the road and that they then went back to have a look. The apprentice turner said, 'I am satisfied I didn't touch her'.

The apprentice electrician, who had lived in Holt Lane, Rainhill, that had been riding on the back of the apprentice turner's motorcycle said, 'I am satisfied we didn't come into contact with this lady'.

A 19-year-old apprentice fitter that had lived in Moorcroft Road, Huyton, said that he had been following the other motorcycle and that when he took the left hand bend he saw a woman lying in the gutter. He said that he had been going at about 50mph and that the apprentice turner and his passenger had been about 100 yards in front of him travelling at the same speed.

A motor engineer that had lived in Critchley Road, Liverpool said that he had been driving a motor car along Cronton Road when he saw three motorcycles in line in front of a car. He said that they were all doing a good 70mph and that he had had to apply his brakes. He said that a fourth motorcycle was well on his side of the road as it overtook a car.

He said that a little further along he saw an elderly woman lying in the road.

A police constable that was called out to the scene said that when he questioned the apprentice turner, he said, 'My friend was following me round this bend and after I had gone a mile he stopped me and said a woman was lying in the road. I must have clipped her when I passed her on the bend'.

After hearing the evidence the jury returned an open verdict.

Elizabeth Richards had lived in Foxe's Bank, Tarbock near Prescot and had been a widow.