ROAD ACCIDENT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVII, Issue 21507, 21 November 1939, Page 8

ROAD ACCIDENT

Military Officer Killed ; Truck Driver Committed For Trial By Telegraph—Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, November 20. The death of one officer in the machine-gun battalion at Burnham, and the Injuring of another in an accident on the Main South Road, near Burnham, on October 7, had its sequel in the Magistrate’s Court this morning, when a truck-driver, Stanley Richardson, aged 35, of Cox Street, Ashburton, was charged that, on October 7, while in a state of intoxication, he was in charge of a motortruck on the Christchurch-Bluff main highway, and by an act or omission in relation thereto caused the death of Andrew Henderson Maciver. Richardson was also charged with being intoxicated in charge of a motortruck on the Christchurch-Bluff main highway on October 7. Maciver was a captain in No. 4 Company (Machine-Gun) Battalion, at Burnham. He came from Wellington. The injured man was Lieutenant James Banbury Clive Geere-Watson, of No. 2 Company (Machine-Gun) Battalion, also from Wellington. Sub-Inspector W. E. Packer conducted the prosecution, and Mr P. H. T. Alpers appeared for the accused. Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., presided. The inquest, which had been opened for evidence of Identification, following Maciver’s death, was continued to-day, being heard in conjunction with the police case against Richardson. Medical Evidence Dr William Gordon Rich said that at 8.15 pun. he arrived at the scene of the accident, about half a mile north of the crossroads at Burnham. Maciver was on the side of the road, off the bitumen. He was facing the fence. Major Cameron and a Mr Fulton were attending him. Maciver was unconscious. Witness spoke to the accused, Richardson, who was sitting in the back of a car. Richardson said something to the effect that “a man did not feel too good after a thing of this sort.” The only conclusion witness formed then was that the accused was dull. "I could clearly see the accused was intoxicated and not fit to be in charge of a horse-float,” said Constable Peter Fallon, of Lincoln. Richardson admitted having had four drinks after the New Brighton races. He took Richardson to the Christchurch Police Station where he was examined by Dr F. L. Scott. The accused told witness that he saw both the pedestrians just before the collision, but instead of moving to the left they moved in in front of the vehicle and he was then too near to swerve. Sergeant John Crowley said that when he saw Richardson at the Central Police station, Richardson was intoxicated and not fit to drive a car. He was unsteady and his speech was thick. He smelled strongly of liquor, and admitted having had four beers between four and five o’clock, after the New Brighton races. “A Borderline Case” Dr Scott said he examined Richardson at the Central Police Station. In his opinion the accused was a borderline case, with the doubt against him. He was not fit to drive a car, and witness would not have cared to be ifi a car driven by him. Constable Tate corroborated the evidence of Sergeant Crowley. Major Cameron, principal medical officer at Burnham, described the scene of the accident when he arrived. He said that the injured men were lying fifteen yards apart. Neither had taken any liquor. Mclver was taken to the Christchurch hospital by ambulance, and was dead on arrival there. The movements of Richardson, in the horse-float, on the day of the accident, were described by Sydney Keith Aldridge, a stablehand, aged seventeen. He said that Richardson’s condition was good when they arrived at New Brighton. On the way home the truck was stopped half a mile past the Rolleston Hotel. He did not see what happened to the men in the cab after they stopped. When a statement witness made at Ashburton was recalled to him, he said he saw three men, including the accused, go into the hotel. He heard no noise then a: d the horses were quiet. Incident at Rolleston Irene Ellen Dillon, of Rolleston, said that on the evening of October 7 she passed the Rolleston Hotel and noticed a horse-float outside. The horses Inside were making a noise and a voice was calling for a light. A man came out of the hotel and after speaking to the person in the back of the truck he got in the front. He did not seem very active. When the truck drove away she did not notice any lights on it. It was travelling fairly fast and Was keeping to the middle of the road. Further evidence concerning the • truck while at Rolleston was given by James Dillon, a garage proprietor, of Rolleston, and J. P. Brosnahan, of Tai Tapu. David Bennett, a horse-trainer, who was a passenger in the front seat of the horse-float on the return journey, said he noticed nothing at all about tne driver on the way back. Everything was all right when he was dropped at Templeton. After further police evidence had been heard, the accused, who pleaded not guilty, was committed for trial. At the Inquest the Coroner (Mr E. C. Levvey) returned a verdict that death was due to concussion of the brain, caused when he was struck from behind by a motor truck driven by Richardson on the Main South Road on October 7.