DRIVER FOR TRIAL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19987, 12 July 1939, Page 6

DRIVER FOR TRIAL

TRIPLE FATALITY SEQUEL CHARGE OF NEGLIGENCE EVIDENCE OF SPEED TERRIFIC IMPACT (Per Press Association.) •HAMILTON, this day. Three charges cf negligent driving, causing death, Were preferred against Louis •Carlo Appleton, aged 24. a carrying contractor. Pongakswa, Hun'tly, in the Police Court to-day. The prosecution arose out of a collision between a car driven by the accused and another car occupied by John Staples, aged 59, a boot manufacturer, Wellington, Florence Staples, aged 46, his wife, Frances Carnegie, aged 22, Wellington, and Arthur Stsoles. aged 24. a tramcar body builder, Wellington, 'which occurred on the main south road near Ohinewai on the afternoon of April 8. As a result of the collision, Mr. and Mrs. Staples and Miss Carnegie died and Arthur Staples was seriously injured. Up To 70 Miles An Hour The four occupants of the other car, the accused and Charles Henry Reid, aged 25, lorry driver, Mata fa and Myra Clark, aged 18. and Natalie Clark, aged 19, To Puke, were also injured. The inquest was held in conjunction vvith the proseeu tion. Evidence was given bv one of the female 'occupants of the car driven by the accused that tire speed of the car reached 70 miles an hour at times, it being speeded up in bursts to locate a fault in the engine. The driver, she -"'•Herded, was not shewing signs of liquor. Francis Thomas Bryant, a plasterer, Wellington, who was following behind the deceased's car, said a large car approached from the opposite direction at 60 miles an hour on the wrong side of the read. Staples’ car was travelling at 30 miles an hour on the correct side, swerving further to the left just before the impact. Witness said he smelt liquor on the accused. J. E. Ainsworth, chief traffic 'inspector, said 'that marks on the road showed the vehicle was travelling on its wrong side of the road and had been driven at a high speed. Fit to Drive Car Dr. Jamieson, I-luntly, said he detected an odour of alcohol on Appleton's breath, but lie thought he was in a (it state to drivtj a car. Henry Charles Reid, motor driver, Matata, gave evidence that he accompanied the accused and the Clark sisters from Te Puke. He and Appleton had one drink at Te Puke and another at Tauranga. Witness bought six bottles of beer at Cambridge. The accused did not have a drink there or at Hamilton. Witness said that he and Appleton had a drink each at Ngaruawahia. He did not think the speed of the car exceeded 40 miles an hour. Appleton was driving at this pace alter passing Ohinewai and slowed down to from 30 to 35 miles on a 'bond when the car seemed to swing to the right. Witness saw Staples’ car 2ft. away and the crash then occurred. The accused pleaded not guilty and was committed to the -Supreme Court at Hamilton for trial.