MOTOR-DRIVER CHARGED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 885, 31 January 1930, Page 1

MOTOR-DRIVER CHARGED

NEGLIGENT DRIVING ALLEGED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL Charged with negligently driving a motor-car in Jervois Road, Ponsonby, on January 3, and causing the death of Mrs. Josephine Clarke, Derrick Norman Moore-Wright was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. The charge was heard at the Magis-) trate’s Court in conjunction with the j inquest before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. i Detective-Sergeant Kelly conducted \ the prosecution. Mr. J. J. Sullivan 1 appeared for the defendant, and Mr. McVeagh watched the proceedings on [ behalf of a third party Interested in | the inquiry. Several witnesses were heard y'es- \ terday, the hearing being adjourned until this morning, when the remain- i ing witnesses were heard.

Ernest Gilbert Shreeve, motorman | on the tramcar following that from j which Mrs. Clarke alighted, said visi- ! biliity was good. Considering the j position of the two trams, it was pos- i sible, in witness’s opinion, that the ! driver of the motor-car did not see j the first tram. The conductor on the second tram, | Arthur Cowell, said that approaching j the Hamilton Road stop the motor-car I passed the tram, which stopped about J 10 yards further on. He estimated 1 that the motor was travelling at 40 j miles an hour. Mrs. Lilian Keatley, , [144 Jervois ; Road, said she was at jome on the ; night of the accident, ind heard a j scream. Going outside! | she saw an | accident had occurred. • Later, wit- 1 ness’s husband invited the driver of the motor-car inside her house. The driver complained that lie was feel- i ing sick, and appeared to be suffering from shock. He was perfectly' sober, and said he was not sure of the tram-stop, and that rain on his windscreen prevented him from seeing properly. A test of the brakes on the motorcar was made by Leslie Claud Dowden, garage proprietor, of St. Mary’s Road, who said they were in perfect order. He detailed the damage to the motor. James Shields, police constable sta- 1 tioned at Ponsonby. interviewed tbe ; driver, who gave his name as D. M. : Moore-Wright, and said he was the J owner and driver. He was unable to j produce his licence. Witness meas- , ured skid marks which were 15 feet in length. , : The coroner found that Mrs. Clarke . died in the Auckland Hospital, the j cause of death being shock after being . knocked down by a motor-car driven \ by defendant. Bail was allowed in defendant s own j recognisance of £l5O. with one surety j of £l5O. 1