SEQUEL TO A CRASH

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 6 October 1928, Page 11

SEQUEL TO A CRASH

■yr.rseOTJNT Ast-or described to the Kingston .County magistrates a few weeks ago, an incident which took place when he was returning home from the Derby on dune 6. Y_’eoil Thorp, who* was giving an address at Hounslow, was summoned for driving in a dangerous manner and for failing to stop after an accident. Captain Charles .Michael Llewellyn, ■of the Grenadier Guards, said he was driving his par toward London when hi! saw the defendant drive a ear across the Kingston by-pass road and go down a side turning, called Warren Drive. Witness had to swerve, and Iris car hit the back of a lorry, which was also coming in the opposite direction.

Lord pleasant

Cross-examined bv .Mr 'Laurence Vine, who appeared for Thorp, Captain Llewellyn said his speed was about thirty miles an hour, and he estimated Thorp’s speed at twenty miles an hour. Lord Astor said his car was following that of Captain Llewellyn’s which was about thirty yards in front. “Suddenly I saw a car coming toward me that was trying to cut across, and I thought it would bo impossible to avoid some ■ sort of accident.,” he added. “Captain Llewellyn, to avoid a collision', turned to the right, swayed round, and hit the back of a ‘lorry. My car slowed down, and I saw the ear which had cut across going down a lane instead of turning 'back to the scene of the accident as I expected it to do the driver merely looking round.” Lord Astor said he instructed his chauffeur to follow the car, and eventually they caught up with it and caus-

PEER CHASES MOTORIST

cd it to stop by driving in front. He wont to a police-constable, and, after making a statement to the officer, took him back to the scene of the accident. Mr. Vine: I hope you enjoyed your experience? .

Astor: It was not very

.Mr. Vine: You had been to the Derby. T suppose?-—Yes.

Two kinds of excitement,

Mr. Vino (•Laughter). Lord Astor agreed that it was a per- „ fee.fly straight road, and the defendant had a right to go into Warren Drive. Defendant’s ear was going at twenty miles an hour when he started to cross the main road. He did not see whether the defendant put out his hand as a signal.

Mr. Vino asked Lord As tor why lie chased' t.hc defendant, and he replied,. “Because I felt it was monstrous of him to have run away.”

Defendant, giving evidence, said he was not responsible for the accident. He had signalled Iris intention to cross the bv-pass road when Captain Llewellyn, who was travelling from forty to fifty miles an hour, suddenly accelerated. Tie had to get. ’out of a tight corner, and said to himself, “Thank goodness that is the first road hog I have met. ’ ’ Mr. Vine submitted that Lord Astor was not in a position to see what occurred. and said that Captain Llewellyn was the person who -ought to have been summoned for dangerous driving. The magistrates fined Thorp'£s for driving dangerously. The summons for failing, to stop was dismissed.