CHINESE IN SMASH.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20282, 17 April 1934, Page 9

CHINESE IN SMASH.

Claims Against Riccarton Blacksmith. COLLISION NEAR TEMUKA. The steady mutter of Chinese formed an unusual accompaniment to a case in the Civil Court this morning when three Chinese who had been concerned in a collision near Temuka last year lodged three claims amounting to £lB9 8s 5d in all against a Riccarton blacksmith. The plaintiffs were F. Young, fruiterer, of Christchurch, T. Low, grocer, of Wellington, and Loo Sliak, gardener, of Christchurch. Defendant was G. Exton, of Riccarton, who coun-ter-claimed for £136 Is. Mr H. A. Young, S.M., was on the Bench. Mr Thomas appeared for the plaintiffs and Mr Twyneham for defendant. Mr W. Wah, of Canterbury College, acted as interpreter. The three claims and the counter-claim were held together. The statement of claim set out that on June 17, 1933, the plaintiff Young was driving his motor-car along Clynes Road, Temuka, with Low and Shak as passengers, when the defendant so negligently drove his car in the opposite direction that it collided with plaintiff’s car, which it damaged. Low and Shak were injured and the clothes of the three plaintiffs were damaged. Negligence Alleged. Defendant, it was contended, was negligent in not keeping a proper lookout, driving on the incorrect side of the road, driving when his judgment had been affected by the consumption of alcohol and not stopping when a collision was imminent. Young’s damages amounted to £9B Ss lid, Low’s to £SS 19s 6d and Shak’s to £5, which sums were claimed by the respective plaintiffs. Defendant counter-claimed for £136 Is, made up of £l3O repairs to his car, £5 towage, and £1 Is hospital expenses. Defendant alleged negligence by Young in that he was driving on the incorrect side of the road and was driving at an excessive speed. Mr Thomas said that Young was going south on his right side of the main road past Temuka at a speed of about 25 miles an hour. Exton, a blacksmith, who had been working on the horses at the Timaru races, was travelling north at something over 40 miles an hour. Exton swerved to his right and went over the bitumen right into Young’s car. The brakes of Extons car produced skid marks, the longest of which was 77ft 6in and the shortest 58ft 6in; it seemed that the real cause of the trouble was Exton’s speed. Car Turned Upside Down. Young's car was stopped by the impact and was turned upside down. As a result of the collision Exton had been convicted by Mr Orr-Walker. S.M., at lemuka of driving a car in a state of intoxication, while a charge of negligent driving was held over until after the civil case. Counsel did not say that Exton was drunk at the time of the smash, but contended that Exton had taken liquor in a sufficient quantity to affect his judgment in a case of emergency. Counsel called medical evidence to show that defendant’s judgment was affected by liquor at the time of the smash, and the three Chinese plaintiffs described the collision through the interpreter. (Proceeding.)