CYCLIST KILLED

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22110, 4 June 1937, Page 17

CYCLIST KILLED

MOTORIST TO STAND TRIAL ACCIDENT NEAR AMBEHLEY Charged with driving negligently, thereby causing the death of a cyclist on the Main North road near Amtaerley, Frank Rowland Coe, a farmer, of Broomfield, pleaded not guilty at the Amberley Courthouse yesterday, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Coe was the driver of a motor-truck which overtook and knocked down Christian Alfred Hadler, a farm labourer, aged 57, of Greney's road. The accident happened on the main highway near Greney's road shortly before 6 p.m. on May 8. Both Hadler and Coe were returning from the Amberley Racing Cub's meeting, Coe with three passengers in the cab of his truck. The charge against Coe was heard together with the inquest into the death of Hadler. Coe was also charged with driving without reasonable consideration for others, and with driving a motor vehicle without holding a licence. The evidence was heard before Mr H. A. Young, S.M. SeniorSergeant D. L. Calwell conducted the case for the police, and Mr N. S. Bowie appeared for Coe. Doctor's Evidence Dr. Philip Edwin Stan-, of Amberley, j said that he examined Coe at the Amberley police station about 6.38 p.m. Coe admitted having had three drinks during the day. He certainly smelt of drink, but on testing him with the usual tests witness concluded that he was not unfit to drive a car. He later visited the scene of the accident and examined the body of Hadler on the roadside. Witness considered death to have occurred more than an hour before. There was severe fracture of the skull and there was indication of a brain injury. There was a fracture of the right arm and right thigh. Witness knew Hadler, and to the best of his knowledge he was in good health before the accident. Death must have been instantaneous. It was a very windy and dark night. Herbert. Horace Hadler, farmer, of Amberley, brother of the dead man, identified a badly-damaged which was produced in court. He said that his brother's health, his eyesight, arA hearing were normal. Witness had never seen him under the influence of liquor. , Walter Craddock, farm labourer, of Amberley, said he was at the Amberley races on May 8, and came away from the racecourse with Hadler. he left Hadler, who had a bicycle on a road leading to Greney's road. Hadler cycled towards the Greney's road station. It was still daylight, and Hadler was quite normal and quite sober. Witness did not think Hadler had had a drink at all that day. Mother in Car Mrs Alice Mary Coe, mother of the accused, said she was with her son at the Amberley races on May 8. They left the course in a motor-truck, her son driving. From the racecourse they went to the Waipara Hotel, where they stopped for a short time, her son going into the hotel. It was getting dark when they left there for Amberley, and there were two other men with them in the cab of the truck. Her son was still driving. The lights of the truck were on and they were travelling south on the main road. There was a considerable amount of traffic on the road. One car approaching from the opposite direction had an exceptionally bright light. Because of this she did not see the cyclist until the truck was nearly on to Lim. She exclaimed. "There's a man on a bike," and the truck struck him almost immediately. The cyclist was on his correct side of the road. The truck was not travelling very fast. To Mr Bowie, witness said there was plenty of room in the cab of the truck and her son was not at all hampered in his driving. She had told him to go slow, and to be careful of the traffic, and he was doing so. Thomas Edward Rapley, mail contractor, of Cheviot, said he was driving behind .Coe's truck. It was travelling a little faster than his own speed, which was from 31 to 35 miles an hour. He stopped near the scene of the accident. Among the vehicles that had passed him coming in the opposite direction just before he reached the scene was one with exceptionally powerful headlights. To Mr Bowie, witness said that the truck when it left Waipara was being driven at a reasonable and safe speed. The car he had mentioned, with the bright headlights, had put him right off the road. If a bicycle had been in his track at the time he passed this brightly-lighted vehicle he might- quite likely have knocked the cyclist down. Speed of Truck Jack Clydesdale, hotel porter, of Christchurch, who was a passenger in Coe's truck at the time of the accident, corroborated the evidence given by Mrs Coe. He estimated the speed of the truck at 30 to 35 miles an hour. The Iruck stopped about 30 feet from where the body was later found lying. To Mr Bowie, witness said Coe had to his knowledge only one drink at the Waipara Hotel. Coe had already applied the brakes when the truck struck the cyclist. It was impossible to avoid hitting him. William Reginald Binns, law clerk, of Windsor terrace, Christchurch, another passenger in the truck, gave cor-1 roborative evidence. To Mr Bowie he said ho considered the glare of the brilliantly-lighted car approaching Coe's truck was the cause of the accident. Mr Bowie submitted that there was no evidence on which a jury could possibly convict the accused of negligence. The evidence of drink could be disre* garded, as the doctor and the constable both agreed that Coe was fit to drive j a car. The accused drove his car ' carefully and satisfactorily, and took all the steps he possibly could for safety. The whole cause of the accident was the glare of the lights of an oncoming car, which made the collision inevitable. Case To Be Answered The Magistrate said he considered there was a prima facie case against the accused. Mr Bowie then called the accused, who gave evidence. He said he was blinded by the lights of the oncoming car. The cyclist was riding off the bitumen and on the shingle. Two wheels of the truck were running on the shingle. To Senior-Sergeant Calwell, Coe said he did not see the cyclist at all. At the time of the impact his speed would be not quite 25 miles an hour. He had at least five years* experience as a motorist. Pleading not guilty to the indictable charge, the accused was committed for trial Bail of £IOO was allowed, with one surety of £IOO. The charge of inconsiderate driving was adjourned. For driving without a licence, Coe was convicted and fined 10s and ordered to pay costs. As Coroner, Mr Young gave a verdict that Hadler died from injuries accidentally received when a bicycle ridden by him was struck by a truck driven by Frank Rowland Coe.