CAR AND GIG COLLIDE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 August 1924, Page 9

CAR AND GIG COLLIDE.

PARTIES IN COURT. CAR DRIVER FINED. At the Hawera Magistrate’s Court to-day, James Gifford, a builder, of New Plymouth, was charged by the police (1) with driving a car in a negligent manner, (2) with failing to stop after an accident, and (3) with driving without lights. Sergeant Henry conducted the case for the police, and Mr O’Dea appeared for the defendant. Sergeant Henry said that on the night of July 5 last Mr Crocker, a resident of Normanby, was driving home, when near Quin’s mill he was run into by a motor car, the driver of which did not stop after the collision. The horse galloped off with the shafts of the gig hanging in the harness/ and after going some distance down the road ran into a motor cycle, with the result that one of the two passengers on the machine was admitted to hospital with a broken wrist. Horace Crocker in his evidence gave the time of the accident as 7.30 p.m. on the date mentioned above. The car ran into the gig he was driving from the rear, and after pushing and carrying his conveyance for about five yards lie and the gig were rolled to one side. The car thus cleared, circled “round, and turned up Wilson stredt. He asked a man who was standing nearby to get the number of the car, but tlie man came back from the Wilson street corner and stated that the car had gone. When the impact occurred the shafts of the gig were broken, and the horse cleared away with the ends of the shafts in the harness. The following day witness met defendant, who told him that he was the man who had run into the gig on the previous night. Defendant told witness that the impact had affected his steering gear, and had caused him to turn round. Witness said he then asked defendant why he had not come back to see if anyone were hurt, but witness replied that he did not know. Continuing his evidence, witness said that just prior to the accident he had received no warning of any kind from the car approaching behind. He did not see any beam of light on the road such as is usually cast by a car approching with lights. After the accident witness saw the car which had struck his gig continuing on its way, hut he could not see that it had any rear light. Questioned by Mr O’Dea, witness said that defendant’s assertion that he (Crocker) was driving on the wrong side of the road without lights was incorrect. Witness admitted, however, that when he was searching for the horse the next day he met defendant, who made no effort to conceal the fact that he was the person who had run into a gig the night previously. Harry .Dalton said that he, with four others, wore walking in towards tjie town. When near Quin’s mill he saw a gig coming towards them on the lefthand side of the road. He also saw a darli object, which he took to be a car without lights, approach the gig fiom the rear, and lie later heard the crash. There was no chance of getting the number of the car owing to the fact that it was driven off so Quickly. He felt positive that there were no lights on the car. After the accident one lamp from Crocker’s gig was picked up, and he noticed that it was still .burning. Allan Campbell, who. on the occasion in question, was one of those in the company of the previous witness, said it. was he who ran after the carin order to get the number. The tail light of the car was burning, but it was too far away for him to see the number. - From his observation of marks on the roadway the next day, he would say that Crocker was well on his correct side of the road at the time of the accideul. Witness also stated that defendant did not stop when the accidenl occurred.

The defeiiclunt, James oili'orcl, deposed that liis lights were in good order when lie 101 l the Ford garage. Me passed a car with very brhdiL lights near Quin’s mill. Me slowed down to about ten miles per hour, and had not (tone far when his lighLs shone on to the back ot a. gig which was travelling on the righthand side of the crown of the mad. Me put on his brakes and made to swerve round the righthand side of the gig, but the lefthand side of the radiator struck the gig. When the impact occurred the fan cut the wire connecting up with the headlights of his car. thereby (jutting the headlights out of action Witness stopped for about half a minute, and then proceeded back to tlm garage via side streets in order to avoid the traffic, his car then being without lights. The next morning he was walking down Turnturu Road when he met two gentlemen, one of

whom told him that he had been run into by a car on the previous evening. Witness told the man that he was the driver of the car, but he expressed surprise at what had resulted from the collision. Continuing his evidence, witness .said that the gig, was without lights, and he did not see it until he was about twelve feet away. James Patched, who examined the roadway on the following day, said that from marks on the road where the collision occurred, he had formed the opinion that the gig wa.s travelling on the wrong side of the road when hit by the car. His Worship, in delivering judgment, said that defendant must lie convicted on all three charges. On the charge of driving without lights ; he would be fined £2 and 7s court costs; on the charge of failing to stop after an accident, which was a serious charge, he would be fined £lO and 7s court costs; on the charge, of negligent driving, which was bound up in "the hrst charge, he would be fined £1 and /s court costs. Witnesses’ expenses would amount to £2 13s. His Worship intimated that in fixing the fines he had taken, into consideration the tact that claims by persons suffering loss as the result of the accident were pending.