MOTOR CYCLIST FINED

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 1 March 1933, Page 4

MOTOR CYCLIST FINED

COLLISION NEAR MAHOE. ON WRONG SIDE OF RO'AD. At the Magistrate’s Court in £l- - yesterday proceedings were taken against Lelonard O’Keeffe, 01 Mahoe, a factory hand, 011 charges O ) of failing to keep to the left when meeting another vehicle, and, (2) ol failing to keep to the left of the centre line of the road. Both charges were laid under the Motor Vehicles Regulations. Outlining the case in support of the police prosecution Sergeant J. Henry stated that O’Keeffe rode, a motor ■cycle along the Palmer Road , near Mahoe between 7.30 and 7.45 o clock on the evening of January 27 last when a collision occurred with a car driven by George Thompson, a farmer, of Mahoe, who was proceeding m the opposite direction. , , In evidence Thompson stated that fie was returning to ins home 011 the Palmer Road accompanied bv members of his family. He drove up a slight grad© to the top of a hill and vvas negotiating a bend m the rood when he observed O’Keeffe approachmg on his cycle at a speed of about 10 miles an hour. The surface of tile road was metal and in good order. His car was travelling at about five miles an hour. Witness concluded from O’Keeffe’s actions that a collision could not be avoided and he stopped ins car. O’Keeffe was well on Ins incorrect side and crashed into the trout of the car ■ and, as a result 01 the impact, was severely injured. To counsel for defendant (Mr. i . \ Rutherford, of Stratford) witness denied that he was on his incorrect side of the road. He reiterated that the speed of his car going up the hill was five miles an hour. The magistrate (Mr. W. H. Woodward) : Surely that is a very slow speed for a car like yours to travel up a hill? , , Witness: It was a heavily-laden cai and travelling quite slowly. The magistrate: Are you sure you are not underestimating the speeds ol both vehicles? Witness: No; that is mv estimate o the speeds. „ Allan Thompson, son of the previous witness stated that neither vehicle Was being driven at » n , speed. Witness observed 0 Keefte 12 yards away. He was travelling on lus correct side, but on turning the cornel be swerved on to his incorrect tide directly in the path of the oncoming Ca in answer to a question from_ the magistrate witness said that he travel led over the road to the factory ev } day. He knew the danger of downhill traffic at this particular cornei and always kept a careful watch. To Mr Rutherford: O’Keeffe s cycle struck the middle of the radiator am th e rider turned a somersault on to the top of the car and fell on to the bank on the left hand side of the r °Evidence also was given by another brother, Harold Thompson. Constable J. O’Donaghue stated that he inspected - the scene ol th accident and found the- cay in the watertable on the left hand side «* the road. There were skid maiks on the road showing that 0 Keeffe had travelled from his correct side to the St of impact on his incorrect side. The road was 18 feet wide. When interviewed O’Keeffe told thgSfcorthat he descended the hill on his c rect side and observed Thompson s w ji n the middle of the road He applied - his brakes suddenly and the cycle skidded diagonally across the load mt I the ear which, by that time, was as !ta o»“ on to’ it/left side as it comd said lie left his WJg; u w i, house at Mahoe to \isit J friend on the lower Palmer Road. On reaching the top of the slightly tion he saw a car approachmg slightly on its incorrect side. From the pos don of the car he judged that a (k> - fision was inevitable. He immediately applied his brakes to steady the r cl bSt the machine skidded directly mto was given by Gordon Jenkin<? that at 7.35 he personally turn ed on the light on O’Keeffe’s cycle b€ jlr Rutherford contended in defence of his client that the. fact of the cycle skidding on to its meoi l -. side to cause the accident could In i . be accepted as an mtentional M-each. The magistrate said that O Keeff , in bis first statement to the pome. mentioned nothing a +‘° ut ir m^RlrtThe being on his incorrect side and ne (the magistrate) oonld scarcely believe defendant’s story non- «!f ™omp.on ~,n o -far over on to his wrong that the skidding of the cycle threw nim in front of tli© c&i- n S in this district the riding and drivingofVehicles on the wrong of the road tvas too prevalent and m this case O’Keeffe would have to be Evicted He felt satisfied that Jeff nd ant was on his wrong side in th was convicted and fined PI tlie magistrate taking into co fdb-aS,n the fact that had suffered a long and and had been put to consideiame e. pense. 1