STORY OF COLLISION

Northern Advocate, 18 October 1935, Page 2

STORY OF COLLISION

HEARING OF DAMAGE CLAIMS I ' j BUS AND CAR ACCIDENT. | HOSPITAL CORNER INCIDENT. The hearing of three claims for damages as a sequel to a collision between a bus owned by the Northern Motor Bus Company and a car driven by E. A. Thorburn, a farmer, of Kara, at the Hospital road corner, on May 18, was continued in the Whangarei Magistrate’s Court today before Mr J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M., The Bus Company (Mr Johnson) is claiming £65 1/2, damage to vehicle, etc. > ; Thorburn (Mr Trimmer and Mr Pickmere) 'is "counter-claiming to the extent of £ll3 10/6, for loss of car, general damages, etc. R. Wood (Mr Johnson), a passenger in the bus, is , claiming £l9 damages ’ from Thorburn. Continuing , the . evidence for the ; plaintiff, Raymond Vanelle, fish hawker, said that on the day of the accident his vehicle was at James and ! Whimp’s and was not near the hospi--1 tal. J. H. Ashton, Borough Traffic Inspector, said that as far as he could ! discover ho by-law was made; in re- . gard to the island and how traffic should proceed. Most cars used the ; lower side of the plot, ‘ H. T. Donaldson, foreman mechanic, ! Kia Ora Motors; detailed the repairs r „ necessary-to the bus as the result of [ the accident. , Mrs A. Pitney, Maunu Road, said slto previously. occupied the shop at ; the hospital corner and heard the [ crash when the accident occurred. . There were no vehicles other than the ! car and bus present. Lees, the driver of the'bus, recalled, ; said he could not say exactly if he was to the left of the present traffic .. dome or a foot over it or not. The dome was not there at the time of the accident. To |Mr Trimmer witness said he thought he could take the bus to the same road and place it in a similar position as that in which it was after the accident. . , Mr Trimmer said he would be ask- : ing for this re-enactment. Car Owner’s Story. Mr Pickmere first called Thorburn, driver of the car, who' said that when ; approaching the hospital ho "Mas travelling at about 20 miles an hour. He / was on his correct side of the road and was going on the left-hand side of the • island. The first time he saw the bus it seemed to be right on the corner of Hospital and Maunu roads and looked to be only 5 or 6 feet out from 'the kerb. Witness was 33 feet away from the bus when he first saw the bus. He applied his brakes and turned slightly to the right. A collision occurred and it seemed that witness’ car had been pushed sideways. The bus appeared to hesitate at the corner, and then came straight on. j Witness said he did not remember what was said when Lees and Howie I talked with him. Witness was .very 1 upset and was in hospital for a week, j His nervous system was . still not quite well. The brakes of his car were; tested the week before and were good. , To Mr Johnson, witness said that as he did not. see the bus previously, he considered the bus cut the corner. The bus was travelling at very little less speed than wiitiess. Witness said he had only taken the lower rbad :pp?e in three years. He. did not remember telling anyone that I it was his intention to do so. Witness denied .that he had hesitated as to I whether to take the upper or lower [road. I Thorbum’s Intention. i The Magistrate; said that, in view j of the evidence already given by several witnesses as to.Thorburn’s statements, he was going to accept as a fact that Thorburn intended to take the lower rogd. This was One of the points upon which the case turned. Charles Taylor, a baker, of Whangarei, said he was driving bis cart along Maunu Road on the day of the accident, coming in the direction of Whangarei. Thorburn Was opposite West End Avenue and witness passed him there. Mr Trimmer suggested that the reason for Thorburn thinking he had seen Taylor by the island was the re- [ suit of the accident confusing his picture of when he first saw Taylor. Speeds Estimated. S. Debenham, a passenger in the bus, said the vehicle came down the hill at 18 to 20 miles an hour. The bus slack,- 1 , ened a little for the corner," and it was not further than six feet from the [ right-hand kerb. The car seemed to be travelling at about 10 miles an hour and pulling up. In a conversation with Mrs Lilley,. * witness said that the bus was on the wrong side of the road, and Mrs Lil- ' ley said she did not know why the bus had not pulled up. Wilfred Higham, a passenger in Thorburn’s car, corroborated Thor- J burn’s evidence. He did not remem- • ber saying to a taxi driver that Thor- 1 burn hesitated as to which road to ) take. He was sure there was no hesi- 1 tation. No further evidence was submitted 1 by the defence, and the hearing was s adjourned until this afternoon. 1 - <