MOTORISTS APPEAR BEFORE MAGISTRATE

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6863, 19 March 1929, Page 10

MOTORISTS APPEAR BEFORE MAGISTRATE

BREACHES OF BY-LAWS. A number of motorists appeared before the Palmerstou North Magistrate’s Court yesterday, charged with breaches of the motor regulations. H. E. Priest admitted riding a mo-tor-cycle up Rangitikei street at a dangerous speed; with not having the registration certificate endorsed; and with not having a driver’s license.- He was fined £1 with 10s costs on the first charge and ordered to pay costs amounting to £1 on the other two. J. A. Beattie was fined £1 with 3s costs for driving a motor lorry at night without a light. IV. Hebdeu pleaded guilty to crossing the railway line in the square 60 yards iu front of an approaching train. —Fined £2 with 3s costs. Defendant stated that he thought the train had stopped. Marjory Saundei'3 entered a plea of guilty to a charge of leaving a ear Hot parallel to the foot-path.—Fined 10s with 12s costs. Charles Williams was charged with driving over a railway crossing in the Square at a speed greater than 10 m.p. h., and along Main street at a speed greater than 25 m.p.h. Defendant did not appear. The Magistrate, after hearing the evidence, imposed a fine of £] and 10s costs on c-ach charge. E. R. Bradnock answered two charges, .namely (1), of failing to keep to the left centre of ffhc road, and (2) using a ear without having received the endorsed certificate and license for same. He pleaded guilty and was lined 10s on each charge with costs totalling £1 9s. The riding of bicycles at night without lights resulted in the appearance before the Court of A. Mercer, W. Young, Geo. Walker,, aud A. J. Carson. A fine of 10s with costs amounting to ,10s or 3s according to whether defendants appeared voluntary or were summoned, was imposed. Charge Defended. C. G. Culling (Fohangina) defended a charge of failing to keep to the left of a traffic dome and was counselled by Mr Ouglcy. G. H. Bullock told tho Court that he was riding a motor cycle iu the Square on December 22 and wffien near the war memorial ho was struck by defendant’s car. 'Witness attributed the acci'dcnt-which nvolved a broken leg for himself, to defendant cutting the corner and giving no indication of his intention to turn. He estimated Culling's speed at 30 m.p.h. or more, while witness was travelling at 20 m.p.h. W. H. Highstcad, who saw the collision, said both vehicles were going slowly in his opinion, but had defendant kept on his correct side, the accident would not have happened. Constable Gillard produced a sketch plau of the scene of the accident and gave as his opiniou that defendant had been cutting the corner. L. M. Yule gave corroborative evidence. Defendant stated that as the motorcyclist approached him tho latter was looking down ltangitikio street and witness thought that lie was going to take that direction. It was the force of the impact that liad swung the car round until it pointed as if about to run inside the dome. Tho point of impact was some 25 feet on the memorial side of the dome, and had he not been hit, the direction witness was taking would have taken him around the correct side of the dome. The Magistrate: Why did you start to turn before you knew where the motor-cyclist was going? It seems to me you should have given the motorcyclist right of way. Tho Magistrate added that he thought the charge had been brought under the wrong section. What defendant had done was to turn into another street before he was past the centre line of the other street. The information should be amended accordingly. Mr Onglcy asked for an adjournment to consider the position, pointing out lliat the Borough bad done away with the silent policemen which had enforced the centre-line turns iu favour of the dome system. The charge was amended aud the adjournment granted. ECHO OF ACCIDENT.

On New Year’s Lay a motoi accident, accompanied by loss of life, occurred on the Sanson-Foxton highway, near Mangawbatu. Two cars were returning from the MartoD races, one being a Ford, driven by Mr J'. B. Coley, of Foxtoii and the other, a heavy car, by Mr A. E. Julian, of Levin. lu a depression of the road .Julian overtook Coley and just after he had passed, the Ford capsized in tho swamp. One of the passengers named C. Anderson, suffered injuries from which ho subsequently died. At tho inquest opinions differed as to the cause of the accident, some witnesses considering that Julian’s car had touched the front wheels of the Ford in passing'and breaking the steering rod. An echo of the occurrence was heard in the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court yesterday when A. E. Julian was charged with failing to clear tho Ford by 18 feet before moving into the pas-sage-way of the car. J. B. Coley gave evidence concerning tho mishap and said that the steering rod seemed to him to be a new one. He considered that the bump given his front wheel by Julian’s car us it passed had caused the break. G. Williams, of Foxton, a pasengcr in the car ,also gave evidence as to j flic Ford being bumped by defendant’s I car. j Constable Bell, of Foxton, who took statements from both Coley and Julian, slated that the latter admitted touchingColey’s car in passing, although he di<l't feel the bump. Mr Cooper, counsel for defendant, submit.ed that the charge had not been substantiated. The cars might have touched in passing, but that did not say defendant had taken the passage-

wav from Coley. Mr Cooper also referred to the finding of the Coroner at the inquest when the latter had said that if the weight, of the evidence was to be believed, the steering rod was faulty.

The Magistrate concurred that it was possible for cars to touch in glassing and a, driver not break the regulation under which defendant, was charged. The case was accordingly dismissed.