THE LONG PADDOCK.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1785, 3 November 1919, Page 8

THE LONG PADDOCK.

CAR STRIKES CATTLE.

DRIVER SEEKS DAMAGES. A collision between a motor car and a black cow at the Leithfield bridge resulted in a suit for damages being filed against John O. Coop, farmer, Little River , by Frank A. Kennard, motor-driver, Waikari. The case was heard at the Magistrate's Court this morning, before Mr S. B. McCarthy, S.M. The amount claimed was £73 12/6. Mr F. D. Sargent appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr F. W. Johnston for the defendant.

Mr Sargent stated that the plaintiff was driving a car in the Leithfield district on August 1. At the Leithfield bridge he met with an obstruction in the public highway in the shape of cattle, grazing or lying down near that spot. A collision resulted, damaging his car to the extent of £73 12/6. The claim was based on alleged negligence on the part of the drover. Had his client not been driving slowly a more serious accident would have happened. The plaintiff stated that he was an expert motor-driver, carrying on a taxicab business. Ou Friday, August 1, he had in his car as passengers, the musicians of Wells's Band, taking them to Hawarden. He was driving the car himself, and Mr Wells and Mr Sheridan, of Waikari, occupied front seats with him. Three members of Wells's band were in the rear of the car, which was an Overland, in good order. The time of the collision at the Leithfield bridge was 6.45 p.m. That would be about 30 to 35 miles from Christchurch. He did this distance in about an hour and three-quarters. The road near the bridge was good, with a slight incline, the approach being at an angle necessitating a retarding of speed. When he got on to the bridge the car hit something, and he immediately pulled up. It seemed to him that the cattle he had hit jumped up. His engine was still running. There seemed to be a number of black cattle in an excited condition, and one of them came on top of the radiator. With the engines still running the fan cut into the radiator from the pressure of the cattle. He and the passengers got out of the car, and commenced driving the obstructing beasts from the bridge. They heard a man gallop along on a horse, singing out "Come on! " They inquired of him as to whom the cattle belonged. He replied that he did not know, neither did he know where the drovers of the cattle were. He later said he would take them to the drovers of the cattle. He wandered round and called out two names, obtaining no response. Witness had subsequently found out that the owner of the cattle was Mr Coop, and the man spoken to was the drover, who seemed to be.rather excited from the effects of drink. It had evidently taken him a long time to reach the Leithfield bridge with cattle from Amberley, a distance of four miles. The cattle were unattended at the time of the accident, and appeared to have been there for some time, and were tired. He had seen the drover in the evening again at Amberley, when ;he had stated himself to be three different people in the course of half an hour. His car had been left at Leithfield bridge. His claim for damages to the car comprised: —New radiator £25, new fan 17/6, new lamp glass 2/6, damages to mudguards £2 2/6, damage to chassis £6, depreciation £25, loss of four days' use of car £lO, and costs of commissioning other cars to take up engagements £9 15/-. To Mr Johnston: The mudguards were not repaired bv himself, but were sent to Christchurch. The £6 charged for the chassis was an estimate. The chassis was an inch and a-half out of alignment, and it woif I cost between £2O and £3O to put the chassis in line again. He was not going at a speed outside 15 I miles an hour at the bridge. The loss of business from the car's being out of ; commission would come to £lO.

William Charles Francis, traveller for Robert Francis, Ltd., Christchurch, stated that he was driving his car on the evening of August 1, and on arriving at Leithfield bridge noticed a light on the bridge. He slowed up, and noticed that some cattle rushed out from the broom. He had to pull the car up to an almost dead stop to avoid running over them. There were some men at the north end of the bridge, who informed him that he could not cross, as they could not get a beast, which was lying across the bridge, to shift. (Proceeding.)