"HIT AND RUN" CHARGE

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23352, 11 June 1941, Page 3

"HIT AND RUN" CHARGE

# SOLDIER COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE ACCIDENT AT TEMUKA (F.0.0.R) TEMUKA, June 10. In the Magistrate’s Court to-day. Trooper Frederick Claude Pratt, of Burnham, appeared before Mr H. Morgan, S.M., on a charge of being the driver of a car which had run down two cyclists. John Cole Scowen and Peggy Caroline Cribb, near Temuka, in the early hours of May 4, and of having failed to stop and ascertain whether he had injured such persons and to render assistance. Mr A. D. Mcßae, of Timaru, appeared for accused, who pleaded guilty, and was committed for sentence at the Supreme Court at Timaru on July 15. To enable the accused to continue his military training, and as he was in a military camp, the Magistrate granted bail at £2OO. with one proved surety of £2OO, or two of £IOO. , . . ' Evidence of finding an injured man on the highway north of Temuka was given by William Allan Archibald. John Cole Scowen, of Temuka, gave evidence that he was cycling home from a dance at Temuka, in company with Peggy Cribb. He did not remember the accident and remembered nothing till he was picked up. She did not hear the car coming and had, no recollection of the accident, said Peggy Caroline Cribb, aged 18 years. Both cycles had lamps in good order and rear reflectors. Evidence as to the injuries suffered by the two cyclists was given by Dr. A. S. Mclnnes. of Temuka, Seowen was still suffering as a result of the accident. , Evidence of an interview with the accused at Burnham Camp &as given by Detective B. H. Constable, of Christchurch. The accused said he was driving through fog at 25 miles an hour when a cyclist loomed up about three yards' in front. He felt the car run over a cycle, but thought the man had been thrown clear. He applied the brakes to stop, but Samuel Ivan Henderson, owner of the car, who was in the back seat, told him to drive on. They agreed to say they had. run into a Jersey cow on the way to Arundel to pick up oil at his father’s farm. Evidence was also given by Sergeant M. E. Hill, Constable R. J. Shannon (Temuka),, Sergeant J. B. Kearton (police photographer, Christchurch), Mabel Grace Gray, Brenda Sadie Gray (passengers in the car. of Timaru), and Graham Laurence Nicholas (clerk, Temuka). Pratt was fined £1 for driving a car without a licence and Henderson was fined 5s for possessing no warrant of fitness for his car.