CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23517, 3 June 1938, Page 11

CITY POLICE COURT

Thursday, June 2 (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS A first offender, charged with drunkenness, was fined 20s, in default 24 hours’ imprisonment. MOTORISTS CHARGED Arising out of a motor collision on March 27, in which three motor cars were involved, Young Chor was charged with failing to give way at a street intersection to traffic approaching from his right, and Hugh Kearney with dangerous driving.— Mr C. J. L. White appeared for Young Chor, and Mr P. S. Anderson for Kearney.—lt was explained by Senior Sergeant Claasen that a sedan car driven by Young Chor, who was a Chinese market gardener from Outram, was making a right turn north into the Kaikorai Valley road when it came into violent collision with a light car driven by Hugh Kearney, who was travelling south along the Valley road. The force of the impact tore the left front wheels off both cars, and slewed the sedan around in the opposite direction to which it was travelling. A third car was near the corner, and both the other cars struck the front of it A passenger in the front seat of Kearney’s car was slightly injured.—Douglas Haig Campbell, the driver of the car which was struck by the other two, gave evidence that when the accident occurred Young Chor was driving very slowly, but in witness’s opinion this defendant was to blame for not giving way io traffic approaching from his right.— Evidence was given by Constable Rusbatch, who detailed the position of the cars after the collision. From his observations he had formed the conclusion that Kearney had been travelling at between 25 and 30 miles an hour, although Kearney himself said he was driving slowly.—The defendant Young Chor, in evidence, put the cause of the collision down to the excessive speed of Kearney’s car. When he first saw Kearney the latter was about a chain away from the intersection—Further evidence on behalf of Young Chor was given by two passengers in his car.—Kearney’s explanation was that a high hedge on the corner obscured his view of the intersection. Chor, in his opinion, was not driving carefully, whereas he (Kearney) slowed down as he reached the intersection. —George Allan Knudson and Brian O’Malley, who were riding in Kearney’s car. gave evidence on his behalf.—The magistrate said he could not find definitely that Kearney was guilty of dangerous driving. The charge would therefore be dismissed. Young Chor, however, would be convicted and ordered to pay court costs (13s) and witnesses’s expenses (16s).—His Worship added that the question of the high hedge, which obscures visibility at the intersection, should be brought under the notice of the local authority concerned.