HIT-AND-RUN MOTORIST

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 134, 8 June 1937, Page 8

HIT-AND-RUN MOTORIST

BOY’S GRAVE INJURIES MAN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL | Per P.O* Association. 1 CHRISTCHURCH, June 7. Admissions of having had a quantity of drink prior to the accident were made in a statement by accused produced in the Magistrates Court to-day, when Allan Mangels, a labourer, aged 32,‘was charged before Mr. E. Levvey. S.M., with tailing to stop and render all practicable assistance after an accident involving injury to Clarence Herbert Rk hards, and with negligently driving a motorz car, thereby causing bodily injury to Richards on May 8. Accused was - committed for trial. Dr. F. W. Helmore, who was called to the accident, descri’oed the grave injuries to the back and to the pelvis suffered by Richards. Richards had obviously been struck a severe blow in the back. Albert Cyril Loach said a boy cyclist and a car passed him on the road, both on their correct side. The next thing witness said, was a noise, apparently from the car, as if th: driver was having trouble with the gears. He turned round and heard •omeone crying out. He walked out on the road and, stooping, saw a form outlined against the lights near the railway line. The car hesitated and then went on with a stream of sparks issuing from beneath it. He ran back and picked up a car lamp near the intersection of the Junction i.is. Main South Roads, on the left side o. the main road racing south. Theis was no glass in the lamp but there was glass on the road. Someone already attending to the boy. Cyril Desmond Smith said he wa standing 100 yards from the corn;, along the Junction Road when he saw a car going past making a lot o: noise with sparks coming irom under it. He heard a boy screaming. Ik got on his motor-cycle and chased the car west along the ma : n road and sav. sparks coming out from under it. It was some distance from the corner when the cycle dropped from under it. He was going about 30 to 35 miles an hour. He took the number of the c* i but could net recall it. He had memorised the number but did not write it down. Witness said in cross-examination that it was about twenty minutes later when he saw a constable and he got a man to write the number down for him. Kenneth W’ilkin Banman said he had been talking to Smith when they heard a grating noke from the Main South /toad. He estimated the speed of the car at about 35 miles an hour. He heard a scream and ran in the direction of the sound and found a boy lying there. He picked the boy up and carried him into a shop where he waited until a doctor arrived. Smith, on his return, told him he had the number of a car. Smith was looking for a pencil but he had none. He did not see anyone else take a note of the number. James Stewart Morris, farmer, of Shands Road, said that on the evening of the accident he had seen a mat. outside the Islington Hotel. On tht following Monday he was called to the police station to identify the man and from ten men he identified him as the prisoner. Mangels showed signs of having had liquor when he was interviewed about 11 p.m., said Constable Kearns. When Mangel’s car was examined it was found fo have one headlight missing and the left side of the radiator pushed back. Witness then read a statement made by Mangels on the same evening, in which Mangels said that he had had “three handles ol beer” in the afternoon. Later in the statement Mangels said that he had been drinking nearly all the afternoon and must have Deen drunk as he had no recollection of what direction he took after leaving the hotel. Obviously, the statement continued, he (Mangels) had been the only one driving his car at the time of the accident. The evidence of the boy, Clarence Herbert Richards, a pupil of the Technical College, aged 13, was taken at Lewisham Hospital. He stated that the lamp on his cycle was alight when he left home. Within about 10 yards off the railway line he saw two lights coming up on each side of him. and then the car seemed to hit him. When he rolled over he saw a lot of sparks coming from beneath the car. Bail was renewed in self £2OO, with ©ne surety of £2OO.