South Yorkshire Times, October 6th, 1951
Inquest on Adwick Motor-Cyclist
Inexplicable Crash on Straight Road
A remark that motor-cyclists on the Scarborough to York road on September 22nd were emulating the races either to which they were going or from which they were coming was made by the York City Coroner, (Col. Innes M Ware) at an inquest in York on Wednesday on Anthony Philip Snow, 25 (lorry driver) of St John’s, Adwick-on-Dearne, near Mexborough who died in York City Hospital as a result of an accident at Holme-on-Spalding-Moor.
“Accidental Death”
There was nothing to suggest however that Snow had been driving in this manner. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death
Richard John Snow, 17, Ruskin Avenue, Mexborough, said that his brother was employed by him as a lorry driver. He had ridden a motor-cycle for the past six years. He was a careful and capable driver. He did not know that at the time of the accident his brother was not licensed to driver motor-cycles, but only motor-cars and lorries.
Evidence was given by Dr. A. Slade at the York City General Hospital that Snow died from injuries to the brain and fracture of the skull. Pc. J. A. Boyes said the accident occurred at about 8.10pm near Places Café. When he reached the scene, he found that a motor-cycle had been in collision with a pedal-cycle. There was no evidence as to what had happened to the motor-cyclist and when he arrived Snow had been moved on to the grass verge. There was little damage to the motor-cycle which was in good running order but the rear wheel of the pedal-cycle was buckled and the rear mudguard damaged.
Straight Road
At this point the road was quite straight for one and half-miles. Questioned by the Coroner, Boyes agreed that the motor-cyclists on the road that day were behaving like a “imbecile hoard of hooligans”. There was a general air of “help yourself” he said.
Miss. Theodosia Potter of Holme-on-Spalding Moor, said that she was cycling along on the nearside of the road. Both her back and front lights were on. Her mother was cycling behind her. She did not remember anything until she woke up in bed
Mrs. Ruth Mary Potter said she was riding 10 or 15 yards behind her daughter on the nearside of the road. She heard breaking of glass and then saw her daughter lying face downwards on the road. She did not see how the accident happened.
A car driver, Harry Bennett of Northstead Manor Drive, Scarborough, said that he was driving towards Scarborough and he heard a crash on his offside. He saw something which he later discovered to be the pillion passenger flying across the road in front of his car. The man struck his car on the offside headlight at about the same time as he stopped his vehicle.
The pillion passenger, Robert Perry, Doncaster Road, Goldthorpe, described how he and Snow stopped at a Public House at Holme-on-Spalding. Each had a pint of beer and some crisps. They only stopped for a short time. This was about 8pm.
They had only gone a little way farther on when he heard Snow shout “Look Out.” He tried to look over Snow’s shoulder but felt himself thrown off the motor cycle. Before the accident he felt a slight swerve as if Snow had missed something.
The Coroner said that there was no evidence to suggest that the pedal cyclists were doing anything but riding on the right side of the road with their lights on. Nobody who was anything but a maniac would do otherwise on that road at that time.