CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19250, 14 August 1924, Page 9

CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER.

HUTT KOAD FATALITY, ' , HEARING OF EVIDENCE.. , ' (Pm United Peess AesociAnoß.) ‘[ WELLINGTON, August 13.- ;. Evidence for the prosecution in thpimm---slaughter charge against Frank M‘Devitt' , concerning the death of Traffic Inspector’ Cross on the Hutt road on April 26 was. concluded to-day. _ •• -i s i- : ; For the defence Mr Siovwright said he" ; intended to call evidence. M'DeVitt and* party left Trentham at 10 minutes'to 5. o’clock, and the accident took plfcOp at .Sio'clock according to a broken watch.' distance would bo shown to be 10 1-3 miles;'* and the average speed must therefore h avis' been 14 1-5 miles an hour. Accused, in his evidence, said he -went to got his oar before the last race, which:. was run at about 4.46. He left before, 4.60, and had a non-stop run. He started. at a very slow pace, increasing to <&ont, 18 or 20 miles at the entrance to the gbrgel Ho slowed down at the Hutt township, r and was going so slow that his enginestalled on going to the bridge. He denied.* that he was speeding, as a proof of; which he said he had travelled from Trentham? to the place of the accident in a. timeii which gave an average of a little over Ift-i miles per hour. Cross had suddenly peared in front of the car, and -accused*-' swerved and tried to avoid striking ’-himiiHe thought he had managed to clear.'hitnl l Witnesses said that Cross was--at first outside the beam of light from accused’s car and then stepped forward. It was possible for M'Devitt to stop the qKrit&t avoid oi collision. - it Other witnesses said that Cross whs stand-' ing in the middle of the road. ~