OHAU BRIDGE SMASH

Chronicle (Levin), 9 June 1947, Page 4

OHAU BRIDGE SMASH

Triple Cdlision Has Court Sequel The Ohau tf affic bridge was fektured in a defended case heard in ■/ the Magistrate's Court Levin, On ' Fiiday,- Whefi LeonSfd Pdul Dampr ney, of Tiakitahuna, ■ Longbufn, Was- eharged bdfore Mr.- A. M. Gduldiiig, S.M., with drivihg without due care and attention. The charge was a sequel to a tripie collision On the bridge on the afternoon of April 3, ih which Peggy SheilU Dkmpfley, sjster of the dgfgndaat* sustaiiied a fractured nose. Though def ehdarif- pledded hot guilty, the magistrate ,commented that oh the evidence before him he would have to enter a convictioh. He fined Dampney £1 10s, while witness fees of 10s were allowed ahd court -costs of !.3s« Reviewing the incident, the driver of the other car, Mr. EdwUrd Maffcih Beere, of Waikanae, told the court that on the day in question he was proceSding horth: On dpproaching the bridge he nOted that there was no other vehicle on it, so proceeded acfoss at a moderate speed. When he was over half way across he * saw another car approaching frdm' the other ehd. Anticipating that this vehicle WCiuid stop and back off, he cohtinued. The other vehicle still came on so he braked, but the greasy sUrface rendefed the bfakes ineffective. He attempted to pass the other vehieie, but edUld not do SO and a collision occurred. Almost immediately another vehicle followihg him edllided with the rear of his car. The driver of the oncomihg vehicle had stated that he thought it Was a two-way bridge. Mr. L. B. Ogilvie (for defeiidant) : Would you say " this is a dangerous bridge?^* - , Mr. Beere: Most cer'tainly. : Sergeant W. Grainger: The surface was vefy treacheroUs and in wet weather brakes were rendefed ineffective. Mr. Beere: Yes. The brakes acted, but the wheels drifted. - The bridge was a narrow one With only sUffiCieflt width fdf two light cars to pass, said Constable . A. T, 'f^elk. The northern approdch was; marked with a "one-way bridge" sign, plainly painted .on • the r oadway, over • which def ehdant'S car would have to pkss. ■ There was also a notice near the bridge. The approach from this angie was very good. The bridgehad. been the cause of a number of accidents. Its surface was at that stage of plaih -timber laid lengthways. When the deeking was greasy brakes failed to hold. Sergeant Grainger: "There have beeh a iarge number of accidents on this bridge, but this is ohly the second case to come before the court in his experience. The best of ifiotdrists Could come to grief on this bridge. He maintained, however, that the offence with Which defendaht was chafged was ConCerning what happened off the bridge. The bridge Was 358 feet in length. Mr. Bedre's car had travelled 270 feet along the bridge to the point of-impact, Wlaereas defendant's vehicle had CoVere'd only 88 feet. He main- ' tained that from the northern appproach it was possible, if a vehicle was keeping well to its correct side, for a driver to see right acfoss the bridge from a considerable distance. He had been travelling at a low speed, but had been distracted by the approach .from a side track of a pubiie works lOrry, and had not . hoticed the sigii, said defendant. It was raining at the time of the ' accident and the bridge deeking was slippery. Sergeant . Grainger: How far were you from the bridge when you first saw the, other car? , • > , Ddfehdant: 1 $W as goihg up - the raiiip. • Sergeant Grainger: For at ICast 500 yards there is a clear. view of the whoie length of the bridge, yet ycu fiever saw the other car till you w£re on the ramp? If you had been looking straight ahead you must have seen it. Miss Peggy Shelia Dampney collaborated the evidence of her(, brother. In his summing up, Mr. Gouiding said that the measurements to the p'bint of impaet, and the speCd of both vehicles, clearljr showed that Beere's car was hrft on the bridge. The one-Way bridge sigh was a very commt>n one and it was obvious that Vie defendant had not kept a strct look out.