Intoxication Charge Follows Collision With Ambulance

Chronicle (Levin), 15 May 1948, Page 4

Intoxication Charge Follows Collision With Ambulance

| Charged in the Magistrate's I Court, Levin, before Mr, H. Thomi son, S.M, with being intoxicatecl I while in charge of a-motor vehicle, ! James Stafford O'Neili, of Lower I Hutt, was fined £15 and his licence J cancelled for a period of 12 months. ! He was allowed one month in which I to pay the fine. , | Sergeant W. Grainger told the ! court that at 9.15 p.m., a Mr. W. I Smith was driving an ambuiance in i a northerly direection on the main I highway, near Kuku. Ke saw tne. I lights of another vehicle approacnI ing about a quarter of a miie away. | He noted that they were dipped ! and he 'dipped his vehicle 's lights | in response.- . | When the vehicle was about 20 ! yards from the ambuiance, Li&e I lights were turned up and the amI bulance- driver. saw the vehicie | being driven straight at him. He 1 immediately stopped the ambuiance j and from his position he could r hear the noise of a radio blaring I loudly in the oncoming vehide. I It grazed the. side of the am-DU- { lance and struck the right rear | mu'dguard. The driver stopped h:s I vehicle and got out. According to I Mr. Srtiith, he had been very un- ! steady on his feet and obVibUsly' in I a state of intokicatioh. I The police were notified and [ constables Kelk and Gillespie went I to the scene. They consi'dered that I defendant was in an advanced state | of intoxication. j Defendant was later examined by I a doctor who certified that he | ant was in an unfit condiion to ! drive a vehicle, • — rrm " " - !