MINISTER ACQUITTED

Evening Star, Issue 22026, 11 May 1935, Page 25

MINISTER ACQUITTED

FATAL CAR ACCIDENT I'PiR United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, May 10. The trial took place to-day, before Ml - Justice Reed and a jury, of the Rev. Dr J. J. North on a charge of negligent driving, causing death. He was driving to church on Sunday morning, -February 24, when his car struck Frederick Cossey, aged 88, who was crossing the road on his way to church. Cossey died in the hospital shortly afterwards. , The prosecutor said the Crown’s suggestion was that no proper lookout was kept. Mr A. H. Johnstone, K.C., for the accused, said that all the evidence showed that the car was being driven at a perfectly moderate speed. No keeping of a lookout was of the slightest avail where an object suddenly appeared in the path of a driver. His Honour said that a person in charge of a motor car w;{s under a legal duty to take reasonable precautions to avoid danger. The Crown must satisfy the jury that the accused had failed to take such precautions and that his failure resulted in Cossey’s death. Tlie whole question was: Ought tho accused to have seen the old man? After a retirement of three-quarters of an hour the jury brought in a verdict of not guilty, and Dr North was discharged. *