"RAN UP POLE."

Auckland Star, Issue 17, 21 January 1932, Page 8

"RAN UP POLE."

CAR IN REMUERA SMASH

TRAMWAYMEN'S EVIDENCE. "TERRIFIC SPEED' 5 ALLEGED. Evidence that a motor car, on striking a telegraph pole, went up the pole, was given at the Police Court to-day when Charles Thomas Kite, a middleajred man, was charged with negligently driving a motor car in Remuera Road mi December 3, causing the death of Theodore Raymond Lewis. Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., was on the bench. The inquest touching Lewis' death was taken simultaneously with the trial of Kite, who was represented by counsel. Extensive injuries to the head and body, which were the cause of death, were described by one of the house surgeons at the Auckland Hospital. Another witness. Dr. Oswald F., Lamb, said he was called to accused's house in Maria Street, Grey Lynn, and found Kite in bed, suffering from abrasions 011 the lower part of the chest and signs of fractured ribs 011 the left side. There was a smell of alcohol in accused's breath, but witness was of opinion that he was not under the influence of drink. A tram conductor, Arthur H. Currie, said he was on duty 011 a tram coming from the Remuera terminus to Auckland on the night of December 3. Near Newmarket he saw a motor car coming towards the tram from the direction of Newmarket. In his opinion it was travelling at an excessive speed. He signalled to the motorman to stop, expecting a crash. Telegraph Wires Snapped. Before this happened, however, the car struck a telegraph pole, with sufficient force as to go almost right up. It then bounced 011 to the tram tracks. The force of the impact was so terrific that the wires which the post held up were snapped near the insulators. Mr. Hunt: What attracted your attention first? —The roar of the engine. There was no other traffic in sight at the time. A tramway motorman, Thomas Morton Callender, said he would not like to estimate the speed of the car. It was going at a terrific speed. He first heard the motor car when his tram was at the Ridings Road stop. After the car passed him he watched it. It did not take the bend, but struck the pole.. . "Whole Car Went Up." The whole car went up the pole, leaving the ground. As it bounced down again it pivoted around, and finished' up on the outward tram tracks. As witness approached the damaged car, accused was just leaving it. After helping to Kft Lewis out of the car, witness went into a house to telephone for the ambulance, but could not get through as all the telephone wires were out of order owing to the car colliding with the pole. Witness added that as the car approached the kerb the brakes were applied. They squeaked and the car appreciably reduced speed, but then jumped forward again as though the driver had accelerated. Alfred Alexander Pellett, senior overseer of the Post and Telegraph Department at. Auckland, said he examined the (clegraph pole which had been struck by the car. The pole was displaced about' 9in, the ground having opened up to that extent. Thirteen wires were broken at the top.. Joseph Urlich, restaurant keeper, of Victoria Street, said that on December 3, at 5.45 p.m., he was in the private bar of the City Hotel when he saw Lewis, who came in with Kite. Each had two medium glasses of bottled beer. Lewis bought four bottles of beer and took it away, with him about 6 p.m. Both accused and Lewis were absolutely sober. Corroborative evidence was then given by Harold Thomas Tipton, taxi driver, who knew both Lewis and Kite. Constable F. R. Henry, of Newmarket, who was on the scene three minutes after the accident, said Lewis was lying on the footpath, being attended by a doctor. He was shortly afterwards taken to hospital. Witness asked Kite what caused the accident. He replied that as he was rounding the bend the left rear tyre blew out. Accused smelt of liquor and when asked if he had been drinking that day he said he had not taken any. Later he said he had a drink of schnapps about 4 o'clock. "I asked him to wait while I got some facts about the accident," said the constable, "but wlinn I looked for him about two minutes laler, he could not be found." Witness found that a "parcel of beer, which accused admitted had been in the car, was hidden behind an adjacent fence. Accused said he did not know who removed "it from the ear. Constable Gives Measurements. Constable Henry said that the *>kid marks started 2ft 4in from the kerb, a distance, of lift sin to the second pole 011 the corner of Ridings Road. There was a chip off this pole. There were ny skid marks pa«t this pole and the car travelled 59ft sin before it struck the third telegraph pole. Broken glass was scattered on the road from the third pole from Ridings Road for lOUft tori. (Proceeding.)