WOMAN KILLED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 284, 1 December 1938, Page 7

WOMAN KILLED.

OTHERS INJURED. CAR STRIKES POLE. TAXI DRIVER CHARGED. NEGLIGENCE ALLEGED, Arising out of an accident in Great South Road on the evening of August j 20. Herbert Kane, taxi driver, appeared in the Police Court to-day, charged with negligently driving a motor car on August 20. thereby causing the death of Mrs. Klizabeth Muir. Sub-Insjiector Fox appeared for the police and Mr. Henry and Mr. Stnbbs for the accused. Dr. J. W. Craven, medical superintendent of the Auckland Hospital, said that at ."> p.m. on Saturday. August 20, he was driving along the Great South Road towards the city. At the corner of Patey Street he saw a car against a telegraph pole. In the car were four women and one. whom lie subsequently knew to be Mrs. Elizabeth Muir. was behind the b'oken steering wheel and in the driver's seat. She was dead and had a severe wound in the forehead, and had received a forceful blow in the solar plexis from tlie steering wheel. The injuries he saw were sufficient to cause death. One of the women in the car had a fractured ankle, and another an injury to one eye. The body of Mrs. Muir was removed to the morgue and the other women sent to the hospital. Analyst's Evidence. Conversing with accused witness gained the impression that accused was under the influence of liquor, but no tests were applied. Kenneth Af. Griffin, Government analyst in Auckland, gave evidence that certain particles of bronze finish hande<l to him, and said to have baen found on the bumper of the car Mrs. Muir was in, were similar to the finish on car T-109. Constable W. A. T. McGuire said that in company with Constable Gillespie, he examined accused's car, T-169, in Queen Street on August 23, and on the lefthand side of the car bumper found what appeared the blue finish from another car. The accused's car had a bronzecoloured finish, and a sample of this was taken by vfitness, also particles of the blue he had noticed on the rear bumper. Constable V. Naylor produced •photographs he had taken of the accused's car, also of Mrs. Muir's car. ( I'.ric S. Dawson said he resided at j Papakura. and about "> p.m. on August 20 he was driving along the Great South Road in a southerly direction. Near Market Road a taxi came along and bore in towards witness, heading him off and compelling him to stop. The taxi went on and witness followed. There was a dark-coloured motor car in front of the taxi, also a tramcar ahead going in the same direction. The tramcar was slightly ahead, and the taxi seemed to cut in to pass between the tramcar and dark-coloured motor car, and then witness saw the dark-coloured car mount the kerbing and collide with a telegraph I>ole. Miss Lily Wilson, of Lippiatt Road, Otaliuhu, a passenger in the car driven by the last witness, said she saw the taxi pass Mrs. Muir's car and the latter swerve on to the footpath and strike » telegraph pole. She could not say what caused Mrs. Muir's car to swerve. Injured Passenger. Mrs. Barbara Kirkbride, residing in Ihumata Road, Mangere, said she was in the car driven by her sister, Mrs. Muir, at the time of the accident. She thought her sister's age was 69. She was in good health and had been driving a car for years. Mrs. Muir was not driving very fast, and witness saw a. taxi cut in between a tramcar and the car witness was in. There was not sufficient room, and the back of the taxi caught on the front of the car witness was in and lifted it up, and it hit a telegraph )K)le on the footpath. David T. A. Burt, insurance manager, residing in Ruarangi Road, Mount Albert, said on Saturday, August 20, he was driving a car along. Great South Road towards the city. As he approached Market Road, he saw a taxi about to overtake a blue sedan car. Xext 'he heard a slight crash and saw tlie blue sedan swerve quickly on to tin* footpath and strike the telegraph pole. Witness spoke to the taxi driver, and he appeared to be quite normal. (Proceeding.) ===== |