DANGEROUS DRIVING

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 January 1938, Page 10

DANGEROUS DRIVING

SALESMAN FINED

I PER PKESI-t ASSOCIATION,]

BLENHEIM, .January 19

Rev A'-hljy Rudkin. of Christchurch, a salesman, was lined Lio. ordered io pay witnesses’ expenses amounting to £4 (I/-. anti to produce his licence for endorsement by Mr. T. E. Maunsell. S.M., in the. Magistrate's Court to-day. when be was convicted of driving al a dangerous speed on the main highway near Blenheim. Senior-Sergeant Smyth said that the eviitencc available indicated that the defeml"'' l travelled at an excessive speed in a .journey from Christchurch t' 1 Piel on. lie was reported for speeding through Kaikoura and had a col-j lision witli a motor-lorry before reach-i ing Blenheim, but. did not stop. Then lie. alllegedly picked up a horse on the I om.’et of his car and carried it for mere than 1(J(» yards, resulting in injuries to the horse, necessitating its destruction. Even then he covered 1 some 25 miles in half an hour. I

( Explaining the accident in a fetter to tile Court, the defendant said that he was relying on “the courtesy of the load." expecting tlm car descending a hill to give way io bis <ar. which was ascending. 1 he Magistrate declined to take this into account, remarking that he had never heard a <on\hiring explanation of the theory. It appeared io be a most, serious case. Whether a <ar was going uphill or down it must be driven! with reasonable care.

negligence; ai.j,h.;eu. WELLINGTON. January lit. Hornet' Baden Ginger, aged 35. ;• company director, was charged before Air J- H. Ltixford. S.AJ-. to-day. wit!.' negligently driving a motor-vehicle, thereby causing the death of Saiiine) 'J hempson. Evidence wus given by Alexander Alfred Boyce thtit Ginger's car was completely out of control, '■’■'xing from side to side, and taking

<■- zig-zagging course at a. speed of 15 miles an hour or more. |( passed his <.ai. widen was stationary, mounted <-'ie foot path, went along it for some distanee, zig-zagged across (he road .’gain, and finally stopped on the op--1 csite side. He noticed a man lying on the footpath, and walked to the scene o; Hie accident.

Walter Henry White said his attention was attracted to Ginger’s car by the ei i atic course it was pursuing. Aftei it passed <t stationary car it mounted the footpath, travelled a. short distance, struck Thompson, and «iltei wards came back on the road and appeared as if to strike witness’s car. Witness swung off to avoid it. It travelled about 20b yards from where Thompson was struck. Witness said that accused was quite sober. The police gave evidence ol measurements taken.

Ginger pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. His defence was reserved.