NEGLIGENT DRIVING

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 48, 20 November 1926, Page 12

NEGLIGENT DRIVING

TWO FATAL MOTOR ACCIDENTS Dominion Special. Christchurch, November 19. A fine of £25 was imposed on Giffen Murphy, in the Supreme Court, by Mr. Justice Stringer, on a charge of negligently driving a motor-car so as to cause the death of Francis James Holland, a milkman. His Honour said tlia't if there had been a suggestion that Murphy had taken liquor, or if he had been grossly reckless. His Honour would consider the case one for imprisonment. The accident should not have happened. It was not a mete error of judgment; there was no judgment shown. The probabilities were that Mttrphv, having driven a car so long, was led by familiarity to sail a little too close to the wind. He should have passed some yards from the cart. The ends of justice would be >niet by a fine of £25, in default three months’ imprisonment. Accused was allowed to pay the fine at the rate of £2 a month. His motor driver’s license was cancelled, and he was disqualified front holding a driver’s license for a further period of two years. OVERLOADED MOTOR-CYCLE. John Calder was convicted of having negligently driven a motor-cycle on Page’s Road on February 20, aud haying caused the death of Robert William Milner. Mr. A. T. Donnelly (Crown Prosecutor) said that the motor-cycle carried four men, and Milner was in the sidecar. Their speed was gravely excessive, in view of the overloaded state of the motor-cvcle. Near the corner of Page’s Road and Cuff’s Road it was alleged Calder was on his wrong side. He tried to swerve, and crashed into a motor-car. Milner was killed almost at once,, and Calder himself had come out of hospital only recently. _ In a statement Calder set down his speed at about fifteen miles an hour His explanation was that he. turned off the power and the throttle jammed, and the machine got out of control, turned off the road, and went on to the footpath. An inspection after the accident showed that the machine was on top gear. . His Honour said, that it w’ottld be a misfortune if cases of that sort were allowed to pass without a conviction being recorded, but he felt justified in taking a very lenient course. The accused would be fined £lO. license to drive would be canceled, and he would be disqualified from holding a license for three years.