FATAL MOTOR-CAR ACCIDENT

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21812, 18 June 1936, Page 7

FATAL MOTOR-CAR ACCIDENT

DRIVER CHARGED AT DUNEDIN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL IN SUPREME COURT IPRNSS ASSOCIATION TJtLKdavM.) DUNEDIN, June 17. The story of a motor accident in Princes street south, on the evening of May 9, which resulted in the death of two pedestrians and severe injuries to two others, was told to-day in the Magistrate’s Court, when John Francis Harris, a farmer aged 51, appeared before Mr J, R. Bartholomew, S.M., charged with being intoxicated while in charge of a motor-car, with causing the death of Thomas Joseph Rogan when driving a motor-car while in a state of intoxication, and with causing the death of Charles Nicol Stewart, through an act of omission when driving a motor-car while in a state of intoxication. The inquest into the death of Rogan and Stewart was held concurrently with the hearing of the case for the prosecution, the coroner returning an open verdict, Charles Patrick Cull, a taxi-driver, gave evidence of how on the evening of May 9, he had driven two men and two women named Clare Kennedy and Mrs Chooquee from near the Gladstone Hotel to the Kensington Hotel. Thomas Clark Muir, licensee of the Kensington Hotel, said that on the evening of May 9, while he was clearing up the bar, he answered a knock at the Park terrace door. A man named Rogan, who was accompanied by another man and a woman, asked for a drink, which was refused. The woman asked him to ring up a certain taxi. The number, however, was engaged and witness closed the door again. Motorist’s Evidence James Albert Christeson, a sheetmetal worker, living at South Dunedin, said that shortly after 6.35 on the evening of May 9, he drove a motorcar past the intersection of the Main South road and Princes street, where he saw two men and two women standing on the roadway on the south side of the Oval pavilion. He sounded his horn but they took no notice and he had to swerve suddenly to avoid them. The witness noticed that there was a car following him and he thought it would be about halfway along the Oval from Anderson’s Bay road that he first noticed headlights shining on his rear window. As he passed the Southern Hotel, he overtook a sedan car, which was also travelling south. At this time, the witness’s speed would be about 20 to 25 miles an hour, and after he passed the other car, it followed him along the Oval. When he swerved to avoid the people, the car was still some distance behind him, but although he saw its lights as he turned the bend approaching the Kensington Hotel, he lost sight of them when he got on to the straight road. Stanley Gordon McKeagg, a driver employed by the New Zealand Express Company, said that shortly after 6.45 on the evening of May 9 he was standing opposite the foot of Maitland street, when he noticed a group of four people standing about a chain and a half on an angle to the south of him. Two men were standing a few feet from the kerbing and the women seemed to be standing on the footpath. The witness’s attention was attracted by a red sedan car, which was travelling south along Princes street, at what he considered an excessive speed. So far as he was aware, no horn was sounded, and the next thing he heard was a tyre skidding and a woman screaming. Injured Persons on Road The witness went across and saw two men' and a woman lying on the road and another woman, who he thought was Mrs Chooquee, and whose head was bleeding, sitting up. The other woman (Mrs Kennedy) was lying four or five yards away. The witness summoned an ambulance and went to attend to Rogan, who was four or five yards farther south from Mrs Ken nedy, and dragged him in towards the footpath. He thought that the other man was lying farther south still. While he was attending Rogan, the accused said to him: “Did you not hear me sound the horn?” The witness replied, “No.” Dr. Evans said that about 7.2 p.m. on May 9 he was called to examine the accused at the police station. He noticed that the accused’s gait was staggering. His tongue was furred, his breath smelt of alcohol, his body swayed, and his eyes, which were sluggish in their reaction to light, were closed. Story of the Accused Questioned by the witness, accused said that between 11 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. that day he had visited Dr. Burns, but he did not know why, and could not say that he had any specific complaint. After 12.30 he had visited the Public Trust Office, and after having afternoon tea at the Vedic Cafe, had gone to the pictures. At 5.50 p.m. he was in the Gridiron Hotel, where he had been discussing business with a man from Dalgety’s. The witness had previously stated that it was not until after 6 o’clock that he had left the Gridiron Hotel. He also stated that he had blown the horn twice and had knocked over two or three people who were standing on the road. He had pulled up within 12 yards. From his examination the witness had formed the opinion that the accused was suffering from alcoholism, that his judgment was impaired, and that in the condition he was in, he was not fit to drive a car.

The accused, pleading not guilty, reserved his defence and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial, bail being allowed in his own recognisance of £IOOO, and two sureties of £SOO. i