From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Incident report detailing a collision between a car (chassis 9-GII) and a horse near Wantage.
| Identifier | Morton\M10\ img114 | |
| Date | 22th February 1926 | |
| X4199 EFCL/T22.2.26. RE INCIDENT WITH CHASSIS 9-GII. -- When proceeding in the direction towards Wantage on the road in the direction of White Horse Hill, about 2 to 3 miles out from Wantage, the following incident happened. Four horses with riders undergoing training were observed on the road in front, originally reaching right across the road. I slowed down and put into third gear and proceeded quite slowly whilst the horses had an opportunity of drawing across to the right hand side of the road, and then attempted to proceed slowly past the horses on the left hand side of the road, all the time in third gear, and was about to [have - strikethrough] pass[ed{J. L. Edwards} - handwritten] them satisfactorily when one of them took fright and reared up with rider, and came in contact fairly vigorously with the right hand side of the car, [rear - handwritten] which I think caused the rider to come off. I drew along a little further to get clear and then stopped. I got out and had a conversation with the leader. He said he had made note of the No. of the car and would communicate with us if necessary. He said he thought the horse might have one small bone broken in its leg, but of course did not know. I do not think the rider was more than bruised as I saw him limping back for his cap. I ascertained from the leader that he did not consider there was any negligence on my part and he agreed very definitely that it was not any fault of mine, and that I was taking every possible care, but he said he had to note particulars as a matter of form. He seemed to take the affair as if possibly it might happen fairly often with them. The car was slightly damaged - the door-handle was wrenched out of position and the back mudguard was bent in against the [tyre - handwritten over strikethrough]. This was easily corrected and [really - strikethrough] the damage to the car is [x - strikethrough] comparatively slight. The name given me by the leader in connection with this incident was Mr. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Piggott, Trainer, Wantage. The incident occured about 11 o'clock yesterday (Sunday) morning. EFC. | ||