CHARGE AGAINST CAR DRIVER

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25272, 26 August 1947, Page 3

CHARGE AGAINST CAR DRIVER

FAILURE TO STOP ALLEGED

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL Pleading not guilty to a charge of failing to stop after an accident, Neil Howard McPherson, a cook (Mr N. C. Bradley), was committed to the Supreme Court for trial, by Mr F. F. Reid, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The charge arose from an accident in Oxford terrace on June 16. Senior-Sergeant G. H. L. Holt conducted the case for the police. Lilian Edith Wills said she was walking with a Mr Mackie along Gloucester street in an easterly direction. They crossed the pedestrian crossing, and when halfway over, she saw car lights on her immediate left. The night was very dark .and it was drizzling at the time. After sne saw the car lights she remembered nothing more until she regained consciousness in the middle of the road. There was no sign of any motor-car then. George Francis Mackie said he had a good look around before crossing the street, and there were no lights showing at all when he crossed. He did not remember anything until he was picked up on the road later on. There was no sign of any vehicle or driver after the accident. A passenger in McPherson’s car, Olive Ruby Mitchell, said she noticed two persons near the intersection of Oxford ter>r race and Gloucester street. They hesitated, and one tried to pull the other back. She felt a bump, and said to McPherson: “I think you have hit something.” He said: “No, I don’t think so.” He did not stop. Broken Glass in Headlight Arthur Leonard Eastmond, who was also a passenger in the car, said Miss Mitchell had suggested that there was a possibility of someone having been hit, -but McPherson said he did not think so. About 100 yards further on, the conversation was more or less repeated. On arriving at a garage, he noticed that one headlight’ was not focused properly. The glass was broken. He had mentioned to McPherson that there must have been an accident, and accused had gone off on his bicycle to investigate. To Mr Bradley, witness said that the car travelled very slowly across- the intersection. McPherson had later told him that he had made inquiries at the hospital to see if there had been an accident, and had received a negative answer. Evidence of finding pieces of glass near the intersection, similar to fragments found on the car, was given by Constable E. G. Smith. Sergeant A. R. Grant said that when interviewed, McPherson had explained in a statement that as he approached the intersection he slowed down to give way to a car on his right. The car stopped, and when he proceeded, he saw a man and a woman in front of his car. As it was practically on them he had had no £ime to do anything. There was a slight 'impact, and he heard the glass fall from the headlamp. He did not stop to ascer-. tain if the pedestrians had been injured, but had later returned by bicycle to the corner of Worcester street and Oxford terrace, where he thought the impact had occurred. His reason for not stopping was that, although he felt a slight impact, he did not think that anybody had been hurt. He had had about half a dozen drinks of beer before 6 p.m. that day, and 10 bottles in the back of the car belonged to him. Evidence called by the police showed that accused had genuinely believed at the time that an accident had not occurred, submitted Mr Bradley. He suggested that the information be dismissed on that ground. The Magistrate held that there was evidence on which a jury might convict. Bail was fixed at £lOO, with two sureties of £5O, or one of £lOO, on the condition that accused reported weekly to the police.