MOTORIST CHARGED

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 95, 15 January 1921, Page 8

MOTORIST CHARGED

ALLEGED DANGEROUS DRIVING CAR COLLIDES WITH A BICYCLE The police proceeded against William Hall in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., on a charge of driving his motor-car in Constable Stfreet on October 8 in a manner danger, ous to the public. Senior-Sergeant M’Naniara appeared for the police, and Mr. H. F. O’Leary for the defendant. Hugh I:. Oakes, commercial traveller, Christchurch, said that on October 8, at about 4 p.m., he was standing at the coiner of Cons’.hble and Riddiford Streets waiting for a Lyall Bay car. There was a tram on the Riddiford Street line, and witness saw defendant’s car, which brushed-past him; the car was going so fi'.st in turning the corner that it bad to go on the wrong s'ide of the road. About sixty yardk round the corner there was a Defence motor lorry, and present ly witness heard a grating sound, and saw the car knock down a boy riding a bicycle. This would be. roughly, about one hunefred y;irds up Constable Street on the right hand side. The motorlorry was ahead all the time, and travelling on its proper side. The boy, wno was picked up by some residents in the locality, .was lying on. the footpath, ana seemed badly hurt. Witness thought the car was travelling at about twentyfive miles per hour. To Mr. O’Leary :The Defence lorry was moving in the same direction ns the motor-car, and if the oar wished to pass the Corry it had. to get on to its wrong side. Witness did not notice another motor-car standing in the street. When the defendant's car was pulled up it was about twenty-four inches from th© kerb. Witness did not see the boy and the bicycle coming down the street; he saw the bicycle under the car, and it had been dragged some distance. Elizabeth Clarke, married! woman, living at 5 Waterloo Avenue, said she was in Constable Street on. October 8, and was about to cross the st'reet, when she saw the boy on the bicycle coming down the street. She then heard a motor horn, and presently sho saw the motor-car collide with the bicycle. One of the frond • wheels of the car went over the boy. To Mr. O’Leary: There was a motorlorry in the street, and it was when the car was passing the motor lorry that the accident took plac?. The boy riding tho bicycle was on his proper side of tho street-, and was between the tram rails and the kerb. Nicholas Hartley, of Petone, said ne was in Constable Street on the date in question, and detailed what he saw of the accident. ' Arthur Hurne, motbrman, said he was driving on the Thomdon-Newtown run on the date in question. His car was stationary at the Constable Street corner. He first saw a motor-car when he was on the move ail the intersection of Constable Street. The car was going up Constable Street on the wrong side, and was travelling at about twenty miles or more. He saw a boy on a bicycle coming down Constable Street on his proper side, and saw the motor-car crash into the bicycle. Witness then travelled out of-sight as his car was going on to the ParkConstable Baker said he was on the scene of the accident soon after it happened. The skid of the motor-car started about eighteen inches from over the tram rail, and extended for eighteen feet from the intersection of the two streets. The skid took place about 120 ft. up Constable Street. Constable Shields also gave evidence as to distances. This closed the case for the prosecution, and. the further hearing was adjourned to 3 p.m. on Tuesday. The Magistrate intimated vhat he would inspect the locality in the meanwhile.