MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 9 July 1925, Page 10

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

* POLICE CASES. HEARD AT HAW ERA. The fortnightly sitting of the Hawara Magistrate’s Court was oontmmM to-dav wiien Mr J. S- Barton, S.M., dealt' with.' cases brought by tIITVimT O ' HAD BRAKES CAUSE ACCIDENT James Ramsay pleaded guilty to a charge- of driving a car without bein p iu possession of a motor-driver s license, but pleaded not guilty to a charge of driving in a manner dangeious to the public. Sergeant Henry said that on June It defendant was driving members of the Okaiawa school football team back to Okaiawa from Hawera, defendant having been ,'ent a car by one Roberstson. Robertson, in handing over the car, hhd told defendant to go easy, as the brakes were not too good. Midway between Hawera and Oimiawn uefendant drove down a hill on to a naiiou bridge and ran into a ear driven by Arthur Blackmore, which car had been mi'led up on the bridge. Defendant said that as far as the license was concerned, he did not own a car himself, and had only driven the team to oblige the school comnuttCThe magistrate imposed, a hr v - >f 10 s and 12s costs on this charge. Arthur B’ackmore, a service car driver, said that on the lltli he ''’it ß driving a Buick from Okaiawa to Haivera. He had almost got on to a one vehicle bridge when he saw Ramsay cominr down the hill on the other side, and thinking that Ramsay, being the further away, would pul' up and let him cross, he went ahead. When witness was on the bridge lie saw that Ramsay was not pulling up. whereupon witness pulled up dead. Ramsay, who was driving a Hudson, still came on and crashed into witness’s car, which was stationary on the bridge. W it ness said that apparently the brakes of the Hudson car were not in working order. Ramsay said that Blackmore had stated the facts very fairly. t The brakes were faulty, but would check the car on the flat. Iri the present case, however, the road went round a berm and down a hill on to the bridge. Defendant said that in 'ooking down at the bridge first he saw that it was clear and so he lot his car run on. On the bend, however,. he passed another car, that car talcinrr his attention for the time being. When he was able to look at the bridge agai n ho saw Blackmore’s car on it. but although he applied his brakes. the car, weighted with about nine schoo' bovs, continued on down to the. bridge,, where, instead of going over a 100 ft. drop into the river, he ran into Blackmore’ = stationary car. Witness said it was his fault, but he did all he could under the circumstances. The magistrate agreed that from the time Ramsay saw Blackin ore’s car unti’ lie struck, -he could have done no more than he did. but seeing that he had previously been warned that the car had bad brakes, and seeing that the vehicle was weighted with passengers, defendant should have come down the hil< with mce caution. However, the fact that defendant bad been asked to drive the team and had been lent the car were factors that cut down the punishment. The civil remedv would also give defendant something to think about. Robertson’s action in lending a car with bad brakes had also been serious. His Wo-shio said that tbi, was the .second case lie had inquired into tips where a motorist had been unable to stop and had run into another ear on a bridge. Also the case was the fourth motor collision case brought before him so far this week. The Magistrate inflicted a fine of £2 and 7s court costs.