MOTORING FATALITY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20242, 30 April 1929, Page 15

MOTORING FATALITY.

CHARGE AGAINST DRIVER,

CAR. CRASHES INTO POST.

EVIDENCE REGARDING SPEED.

[by telegraph.—own correspondent.] CHRISTCHURCH, Monday. '.lhe hearing was resumed this morning by iir. H. A. Young, S.M., of the case in which John Boyd Clark was charged that, off March 31, lie negligently drove a motor-car, thereby causing the death of Maureen Doris Mitchell. The inquest Miis taken simultaneously with the hearing of tlie charge. 'lhe proceedings were begun last, w ec k and adjourned to enable iurtlier evidence to be called. Mr. C. S. Thomas, with him Mr. J. D. IJntchifc°n, appeared for C'lurk, and Mr. M. J. Cresson represented the relatives of Miss Mitchell at the inquest. t

Hei bei t Roland Isaacs, shop manager, cl Caversham, Dunodin, stated that he vas driving a three-sealer car, of tho vdme as the ono which was smashed, along High Street just after midnight of Marcli 31. It uas a wot night, and ho could scarcely seo at all. He noticed..a red tail light ahead disappearing very quickly, and on turning info Manchester Street at the clock tower noticed a car on the wrong side of tho road facing him. On examination, he found it in top gear. The handbrake v, as full on and the foot lirako was Muck. The handbrake could bo released. " Skid Only Possible With Speed." Ihero was a bottle in tho car, continued witness. Ho did not examine iter touch it, but later ho saw a man take something out of tho car while the constable was across the road and move away with it. Tho bottle looked like a gin or port wino bottle. Witness could rot find tho driver of tho car. Ho traced the car marks back toward the post. Ho considered tho car had been in a four-wheel slide or skid, which was only possible with speed. It was a very hard skid to correct, and usually ended in a capsize.

.Mr. Thomas: Is '.his main an expert? The magistrate said the witness could be questioned as to his qualifications. « Witness said he had been driving cars for about ten years. For five of those ho had been a beach-racing driver. He hud a motor engineer's ticket. " I have had to 'earn quite a lot about slides because it might mean niv neck if 1 did not," he said. He had bundled cars at 77 or 78 miles an hour, and motor-cycles n' 90./ He had been employed as a racing driver by a Dunedin firm.,Estimate of the Speed. " Would you suggest from that that the car was doing 48 miles an hour?" asked Detective-Sergeant Young. " It. was going faster than that, from the marks. 1 ' replied the witness. To Mr. Thomas, witness said that even for one who knew the streets, 25 miles an hour was enough on the night in question. Anything over that would not bo safe. Dy a four-wheel slide, lie meant that the car was entirely out of control. It was not a very x common type of skid. Either speed or putting «>n the brakes suddenly would cause a four-wheel skid, but speed was essential. On i wet night such as this the speed ■would have to be over 40 miles an hour on an asphalt road. It was possible if a man took a very wide turn and pulled round sharply and put on his brakes he might get a four-wheel skid at 20 miles an hour. In that case witness would expect- (he car to hit the post sideways on and bounce off. This car did not <io that. " Car Spins Round Like Top." .Tames McPhee, miner, of Taylorville, fcaid that at the time of the accident he Mas standing at the corner of High and Manchester: Streets by the taxi stand at the clock tower with a man named James iiordon. His attention was first attracted 'to the car by the unusual hum uf its engine. The car attempted to turn from High Street into Manchester Street, but skidded light across the road find struck a pole side-on. The car then spun round like a top about four times, travelling about 15yds. while spinning, and finishing the opposite way round. (Witness was not a judge of speed, and ■would not care to state definitely what the speed of the car was, but it was faster' than the ordinary speed in and siounrl the city. Witness told of going across to the car and finding the driver still sitting at. the wheel. There were two people lying on the,road. "I was very excited at the said witness, " because of the pitiful • condition of the girl, and I said to the driver, ' You ought to be hung for this.' He made no reply. 1 bete vere no other cars there till after the accident." James Gordon, coalminer, of Dobson, gave corroborative evidence. He thought the tram rails had something to do with the skid, but the speed of the car was not reasonable. '' I think on the evidence there is a rH:y for investigation by the Supreme Coirf," said the magistrate. Accused pleaded not guilty, reserved }iss defence, and was committed to the fcupreme Court for trial. As coroner, the inaKi s ' r;, ' e found that th« deceased died on March 31 fiom snjuries accidentally received from being thrown from a car driven by John Boyd oliirk through coming into contact with B telegraph pole.