SEQUEL TO COLLISION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16672, 27 February 1925, Page 9

SEQUEL TO COLLISION.

MOTO'RIST FINED. The hearing of the charge of negligent driving of a motor-car against a Maori named Walter Waipara was continued before Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court this afternoon, when Sydney Worsuop gave evidence for the defence. The witness stated that he had been driving a bus to the races, lie had been travelling at about 15 miles an hour, when two ears passed him. The defendant's ear was running for a while pa rale II with the bus, and while lie wa s there, he saw Whitfield’s coming in the opposite direction. The defendant passed witness, but was for a while obscured by dust. The drivers of both ears swerved at the same time in the same direction, and then both turned the other way and collided. When they struck both cars lifted and then turned at right angles to the road. He could not say at what speed the cars were travelling, but, in his opinion, all race cars went too fast. The Magistrate said that, as in all cases of motor accidents, lie had a very varied story of the happening., There were several aspects of the case which were not of particular value in these proceedings. Insofar as the present charge was concerned there were several contradictory statements, and the issue was whether the defendant drove his car negligently, and thereby caused tbo accident. On the evidence he came to the conclusion that the defendant’s story could not be relied upon. It seemed to him that the defendant bad been travelling on the wrong side of the road, and that bis conduct had’ left him open to the present charge. A conviction would therefore be recorded. A plea of guilty was entered in respect of the other two charges and was ordered to pay costs 12s, in respect to each charge. In assessing the penalty on the major charge, the Magistrate said that the Court, under the new Act, had power to impose a fine up to £ICO, or three months’ imprisonment-. Power was also given to deal with the license of a driver, and he thought the present case was one in which action should be taken in this direction. The defendant would be fined £5 am! disqualified: from securing a license for six months. He would also be ordered to pay costs, £3 14s. The Magistrate added that lie proposed to use the section of the Act in regard to licenses in all cases of careless driving.