CAR STRIKES BUS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18920, 8 February 1927, Page 11

CAR STRIKES BUS.

DRIVER GUILTY OF NEGLIGENCE. EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES. [THE JPBBSS Speclil Serrlce.] AUCKLAND, February 7. \n accident in tho Great South road on the night of September 18th last, iii which a motorcar struck tho rear of a stationary motor-bus, and a passenger in tho former later died of injuries, had its sequel in the trial this morning, before Mr Justice Hcrdman, of John James O'Hanlon on a charge of negligent .driving so as to causn death. Mr Meredith prosecuted, and Mr Scllars appeared for accused. Mr Meredith said the case was one of thoso which was coming before tho Courts with painful frequency. A motor-car was a means of grave danger unless carefully handled. The facts of the present case were that about 10 p.m. on tho date iu question the accused was driving down tho Great South road towards tho Harp of Erin, and had with him Mr Bernard Hosiaux. A motor-bus had pulled up at tho corner of Green hmo and the Great South road. It was fully lighted, and tho last passenger had just alighted when there war a crash at the rear. A motor-car then went past at a high rate of speed, and drew up about 70 yards further down tho road. The driver of tho bus went after the car, and accused moved off to telcphouo for a doctor. Tho car was badly smashed, and deceased was suffering from a fracture of the skull. Ho was taken to the hospital in another motorcar and died ten days later. The evidence would show that accused was not under the influence'of liquor, and it would therefore appear that he had been talking to the deceased, and had not been paying attention to his driving. Lengthy evidence on these lines was given.

Light on Wrong Side. Tor accused, Mr Sellars said ho was driving at about 20 miles an hour. There was no evidence that he was going fast. Ho saw in front of him a red tail light, hut he could not distinguish the vehicle, and ho concluded that as the light was about eight feet from the kerb, the vehicle was on the left-hand, or kerb, side of the light. It was not until he was too close to pull up that he saw the light was on the wrong side of the vehicle, and he swerved to avoid a collision. Mr Sellars, addressing the jury, called particular attention to the by-law concerning the pulling-up of vehicles close to and parallel with the kerb, and also to the fact that the rear light of the bus was on the left or wrong side. The Jury's Verdict. The jury found accused guilty of negligence in a small degree in colliding with the bus, but the accident was, in their opinion, contributed to by the fact that the tail-light was on the left side of the bus, and that the driver of the bu: also contributed by pulling up five feet from the kerb. The jury strongly recommended leniency, and added a rider nrging tho authorities to make it compulsory for all rear lights to be placed on the right sido of vehicle*.

Sentence was postponed, the Judge saying accused would not have lo go to gaoL _l^_ J L _