WEDDING DAY MISHAPS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20002, 29 July 1939, Page 16

WEDDING DAY MISHAPS

MOTORIST FINED £6 * HIT CYCLIST AND TRAM (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, last night. Returning from Kaiapoi on the day i of his weddiing, Charles John Napier had three mishaps while driving back to Christchurch and, after striking a tram, continued on home. He was later traced l by the police, however, and his driving was the subject of three charges in the Police Court this morning, ■ When counsel pointed out that the cancellation of Napier's license would, virtually separate him from his wife, to whom he had to drive home from Springburn at week-ends, the magistrate, Mr. E. C. Levvey. said he would not take Napier's license, but would fine him £5 on a charge ot negligent driving and endorse his license. On the charge of failing to report an accident Napier was fined £1 and costs, and" the charge of failing to d;op after an accident was withdrawn. “Circumstances Very Bad” . “The circumstances of this case are very bad,” said Sub-Inspector Packer. “On the morning of the offence, the defendant was married and, later in the day, hired a car and drove his wife and two other women to Kaiapoi. While there he consumed liquor ah a hotel and at a club. While driving back to Christchurch he collided with a cyclist, but did not kncck him down. While in the vicinity of Linwood Avenue, he apparently lost control of the car temporarily and struck a garden plot in the centre of the Street. He then turned on to Page's road ana collided with a tramcar approaching from the opposite direction. The impact was severe, the right rear portion of the car being damaged ana the night front door of the tram. A passenger in the car was injured The defendant failed to stop at the scene of this accident, but was latei traced by the police and, when first interviewed, said he did not know how the car came to be damaged. He admitted having had eight or nine drinks that day, but he was not intoxicated.

Counsel said-the defendant was a Public Works Department engineer, who was at present drivin/g driving machinery for the department at Springburn. Napier pulled nut in Page’s road to pass some cyclists and the tram v/as approaching in the opposite direction. Owing to an error of judgment by Napier, the car n'ruck the tram slightly and Napier drove ,straight oni home. The ear had not been damaged much and the passenger had been only slightly injured.

The magistrate then fined Napier and, at the request of Sub-Inspeotor Packer, withdrew the charge of failing to stop.