DANGEROUS DRIVING

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1935, Page 11

DANGEROUS DRIVING

FINE OF £7 10s INFLICTED.

DEFENDED NEW PLYMOUTH CASE.

A fine of £7 10s was inflicted on Ray Walker, a New Plymouth motor mechanic, aged 22, who pleaded not guilty at the New Plymouth Court yesterday to a charge of driving a car at a dangerous speed. The charge arose from an accident in Powderham Street, New Plymouth, near the corner of Currie Street, on the morning of December 8, when a young man was knocked down by the car driven by Walker.

Sergeant S. G. Clist said Walker was driving down the Courtenay Street hill past Currie Street at about 11.30 a.m. on the Saturday. In a statement he admitted that he crossed the intersection at 20 miles an hour', and that when he had passed it he increased his speed to 30 miles an hour. There was an unbroken skid mark for 55 feet and then at intervals for 22 feet. The car pulled up 14 feet farther on, 91 feet from the first appearance, of the skid mark. The distance from the estimated point of impact to where the young man, L. A. Murray, was picked up was 23 feet. Cars were parked on both sides of the street, which Murray was crossing. Constable L. C. Lincoln gave evidence of measurements and said the point of impact was on Walker’s correct side, although close to the centre of the road because of the many parked cars. The brakes of the car were apparently in reasonably good order. To Mr. W. Middleton, who appeared for Walker, Constable Lincoln said it appeared that Walker had lifted his brakes after 'the impact. Leslie A. Murray said he came out of the side door of the Daily News office to cross the road. He was walking quickly and his view was obscured by the lines of parked cars. He looked first to the right as he emerged on the road and then to the left, where he found the car almost on top of him. He knew that if he hesitated he would be run over, and he jumped, hoping the car would swerve behind him. He was thrown on his back and skidded under the differential of a parked car. His injuries were a scalp wound and general cuts and abrasions.

To Mr. Middleton Murray said he was not running. He would not say he had not taken proper care. Victor Thorne, farmer, Veale Road, and Frank Gable, Young Street, New Plymouth, gave evidence of seeing Murray thrown to the side of the road. Walker said he had had a license for six years and had not been previously charged. He knew the intersection well and coming down the hill had an uninterrupted view for a quarter- of a mile. There were no other moving vehicles in the vicinity. When he passed the intersection he speeded up and immediately saw Murray “dive” from the doorway. He applied his brakes as he thought Murray would be running across the road, but lost sight of him and accelerated. Then he saw Murray in front of him and jammed the brakes on. Murray was thrown clear, so he released the brakes and drew in on his near side. He thought the long skid mark was caused by a faulty' locking of the brake as he was accelerating at the time. His left wheel had not braked at all. Had all his wheels braked properly he thought he could have avoided Murray. He considered the cause of the accident was faulty brakes and the lack of reasonable precaution on the part of Murray. Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., emphasised that the onus was on Walker to prove that his speed was not dangerous. Although Murray may have shown impulsiveness and a lack «. precaution, the speed at which Walker was travelling was not excused. He had to take a serious view of the offence.