MAYOR AS WITNESS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 19, 24 January 1939, Page 11

MAYOR AS WITNESS

A TRAFFIC CASE

EVIDENCE AGAINST

MOTORIST

Principal witness in one of the traffic cases heard by Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court today was the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop), who described an incident that had occurred on the main road near Pahautanui on December 17. Andrew Albert Taylor, of Wanganui, was charged with driving in a manner which might have been dangerous. He did not appear to answer the. charge, but a statement was read to the Court. Sub-Inspector J. A. Dempsey applied for the case to be taken at the beginning of the list, as the Mayor, he said, had an important engagement later in the morning. The request was granted, and Thom'ks Charles Atkinson Hislop stepped into the witness box. On December 17, said witness, he was driving his car northwards. He was approaching a turn past Pahautanui, practically . a right-angle turn, but one could see across it. There were three cars approaching this turning, coming south. When he was close to the turn he noticed the third car of the three travelling very fast past the other two, actually passing the leading one coming south on the corner itself, with the result that he went completely on the incorrect side of the road. Witness had seen him, and slowed to a very low speed. The defendant's car swerved . very badly, but managed to straighten up, and missed witness's car. Witness, who described how he had taken the number of the car and communicated it to the police, said he estimated its speed at between 40 and 50 miles an hour. Constable Chiles read a statement taken from the defendant in-which he said he was travelling south from Wanganui. He said he- pulled out on the wrong side to get ahead of the first car, which could not have been travelling at more than 20 m.p.h. He was able £& get to the right side of the road again as he was turning the corner. There was another car travelling north, and he cleared it-by about two feet. He was told by a passenger that the other car had slowed down, | but as he had not gone near it he did I not go back. ! The defendant was convicted and ! fined £3 and costs.