NEGLIGENT DRIVING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 48, 11 August 1939, Page 4

NEGLIGENT DRIVING

COLLISION ON DEVIATION LORRY DRIVER FINED A of not guilty was crsterol th-oMfh liis counsel, Mv B. S. Bany, by S'd Kupa', lo~ry driver who was charged before Mr E. L. Walton, M, at Whakatane on Wednesday T vifi negligent driving on May Sli 1939. The case 'was called early irs the proceedings, but "Kupai was not present and it was stood down to the end of the l ! st to allow him to appear. He Avas not in the court whc-n it finally came up. George Henry, Post and Telegraph employee Opotiki, said that on May 8 he was travelling to Oootiki. When about five miles from Whakatane on n one.way strctch of the road a lorry driven by Kupai collided with his car. He was about tlvee-quart3Ts of the way along the road when lifSßr Ihc lorry, which did not slow down and struck hjs car about a chain and a half from the exit of the deviation. His car was damaged considerably, and he and his w fe lial a narrow escape from injury. To Mr Barry he said thr-o wai only a very thin haze on t/bs - Avhen he entered the deviation. TJa could see slong its full length. It was not at Kupai's suggestion that be called the police. Constable T. J. Cnmmings sa l 3 the brakes on the lorry were all r gkt> but that Kuoai was probably travelling too fast to pull up. It was certainly his fault. • Mr Barry said he understood that there was .1 fairly heavy fog whiz*?* affected visibility. The lorry driver thought that there would be rooin l> pass. Kupai was fined £2 with £2 15; 6fl costs.