CROSSING FATALITY

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 91, 28 November 1928, Page 7

CROSSING FATALITY

MtfTOR DRIVER CHARGED. UK AND J lilt I', UajNAUT (AUitLjt. HAJMLIIiXViN, Last, Night. An unusual po&itiun mcouhvu, til thy Supremo court; tu-uay, ansuig, ouu cu a u.isagreemeir& 01 uio Uranu jury, Aiicuew JMiiest xuuiurup, a lYuu.ainaia rainier, wnose mutor-car coiiiuca \\i\u a Wain with latai results 1,0 ,vvvu passengers, Mrs '±ol Kuiviuri and an mrauc daughter, came be/ore. the court on a\ cnarge of negligent; driving and causing tnti tieath. Twenty-one jurymen were empanauti a.s le.ss than 12 voted a. "true bill"' Air Justice; iilair lound "no bill," Describing the case, in his charge to thq Grand Jury, His Honour said J Jiandrup had, driven two Maori women and a baby to Matamata to see a doctor and was returning home, with them. Tlu/re was a belt of trees near the crossing, obscuring the view to some extent. The train was a special express which went through; the station at Matamata at 40 , miles an hour. At this rate the train.would take 10 seconds to reach tin; crossing from the point at which ,it was obscured! by the trees.

V>y the Statute there was an obligation on motorists to approach a crossing at not more, than 10 miles an hour and stop before, actually 'dressing. Certainly the rule about stopping was usually broken, but it was specifically laid* dawn that this must be done. As the Grand Jury had only to, decide [whether there was ;ii prima facie case they would probably have, no difficulty. The Grand Jury retired at 10.30 a.m. and returned int 3.30 p.m., unable to agree., The judgQ discharged Randrup,