TAXI DRIVER CENSURED

Evening Star, Issue 20051, 17 December 1928, Page 9

TAXI DRIVER CENSURED

TAITA GORGE FATALITY [Pee United Press Association.^ WELLINGTON, December IT, Tile inquest on Joseph O’Neill, who was killed as the result of a taxi going over a bank at Taita Gorge in the early hours of December 3, was concluded. A constable gave evidence that the wheel marks showed that the car went gradually close to the bank, and then went over. Mr O’Regan, who appeared for deceased’s wife, said deceased was a highly respectable man, and generally of sober habits, hut on the Saturday before the accident he had won £10& iu a double, and wished to stand his friends drink. The verdict was that cause of death was ,'St, fractured skull received when the taxi in which lie was riding, and which was driven by E. W. Sergent, was accidentally driven over the side of the road in Taita Gorge. _ The Coroner commented on the intoxicated state of the two passengers, deceased and Horsfall, and said that, as regards the driver, there was no' evidence to show that he was intoxicated. There was evidence, however, that the driver had had some liquor. “A taxi driver.” continued the Coroner, “ is responsible for the safe conduct of his passengers, whatever their condition, and I think the conduct_ of. thc_ driver in taking men of their condition into his car, and taking them for a drive, in stopping at an hotel for liquor (which was refused), and then stopping at another hotel and obtaining and partaking of liquor, is deserving of the severest censure. He is obviously unfit, I think, to hold a taxi driver’s license.”-