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MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS
There were 21 fatal road accidents concerning
Woolwich residents in 1959, being an increase of six compared
with the previous year. None involved children under
five years of age. Of the ten pedestrians killed, seven
were aged 60 or over, the remainder comprising two school
children and a middle-aged man. The vehicles involved
were in seven cases private cars, in two, motor cycles,
a van and a lorry.
Deaths of passengers in vehicles totalled three; two
of which were in cars and the third being a middle-aged man
who fell from a moving omnibus.
The riders of three motor cycles, and one scooter
died when their machines were involved in accidents. Three
car drivers were killed in collisions of their vehicles.
One cyclist died when struck by a motor vehicle.
OTHER ACCIDENTS
Deaths of Woolwich residents due to other accidents
totalled 22, being four more than in 1958. Sixteen of
these were persons over 65.
Falls accounted for ten of the deaths, four of which
were at home, two in hospital, two fell from a height, one
death resulted from a fall into the River, and the last was
a child of two who fell on a "spiked" object.
Deaths from burns totalled five, two of which were
from the ignition of clothing.
There were two deaths from accidental inhalation of
domestic gas, and one from fumes from a gas water heater.
Blows on the head caused two deaths, one being from a
package being hoisted from a ship.
There was one accidental death from drowning.
DEATHS FROM CANCER
Of the total number of deaths, 279 were from Cancer
(excluding Sarcoma), being 30 less than in the previous year.
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