TWO KILLED WHEN CAR RAN AMOK

Chronicle (Levin), 23 May 1947, Page 4

TWO KILLED WHEN CAR RAN AMOK

. . AUCKLAND, May 22. A' sequel to the death of a man and his wife in the 'Auckland Hospital f ro.m injuries. sulfered when they were struek oy a motof ear at the - Town . Hali corner on April- a, whs' the appearance of* Alichael Palriek Joseph Aloroney, a private in J Poree, qged .26,- bfefore >a .) ustic.e of the Peaee on six charges arising out of the accident. Mo'roney was cliarged with negligent driving and thereby causing the deaths of Edward and .Kva Toohey and causing injury to EUea. Johnsom Three charges of faiimg to stop and ascei'tain if any pei'son was injured, were ajso laid against accused. . . / v ' A11 eye witness to the aeeident, Cou- : stable P. S. MeHugli, '.said he -was walking down .C^ueen Street .at* 11.25 p.ni. on April 5 when he notieed a- sftialt green car coihing do\vn Wakefield Street at a spoed he estimated at betvveen 40 and 45 miles an .hour. Tlie car appeared to wqbble and t'hen it c rosscd Qdeen Street * and Strnck three people who were bet ween the tram lines and the pedestrian erossbig, -with cerriiie force. The woihan was thrown ju to tlie tram lines, the mU'n'.on to fehe traliic island ahd "the chifd was chrown on to the ^treet." The ear erashed through the traliic island below the. Town Hall coriier and came to a stop on the footpath in Greys Avenue. vVilness sai'd fie stopped a taxi'to rafl the ambuluiice and then went to loolc for the driver but eould 'not lind him. lionald Watter Rosenb.erg, a soldier in tlie J Force, said he leht his car to accused about 10 p.m. A1 oroney was quite sober. lle returned to the house some time later and said lie had hit something. There was a small fault in the brakes of his car, eontinued witness, and three times within six months tt had taken fu 11 pressure 'on the pedal Lo stop the car. Constable B. Digby Smith, who exarained the car 011 April 10, stated that he found oil on the brake drums and neithe'r the foot nor the hand brakes had any appreciable holdiftg power. He (ionsidered the failure of the brakes would have been apparent for some time before the accident. In a siateinenl produced by the police accused said he had twro or three glasses of beer at a party before drivmg a couple into town. After dropping the couple at a cafe he drove arountl . the town ahd- wheaihe was nearing tlie i.%ito#!a*.-lq|'"|^ttkelle^?Street, he applied ijiii>bhl-.kek,fut thevfwfouid no.t act, The car ga'liiered spegjlj "While the car ( was out of control I saw three people ahead but 1 could not do anytuing to avoid hittiug thein," the statement eontinued. "After the accident I panieked and did not know what to do." He said he returned to a house at Mount Albert wliere someone suggested that in order to help him, tlie nwuer should report the car stolen. The tuorning after the accident he went to the police and made a statement. A plea of not guilty to all charges was entered by accused and he was cornmltfed to the Supreine Court for trial.