NEGLIGENT DRIVING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 22, 10 February 1937, Page 6

NEGLIGENT DRIVING

£10 Fine For Main Road Collision "I can't understand this. It is a very bad -case," said the* Magistrate, Mr J. Miller, in inflicting a fine of £10 and ordering tbe endorsement of defendant 's liceute, when, in the Hastings Court thi3 morxdng, William Goodall was charged with negligent driving. on the Napier-Hastings main highway. Defendant did not appear, but wrOte a letter from Dunedin, syaiag that'he could not defend the aetion as he.was unable to afford it.* He regreted the occurrence. Sergeant Mclnstosh said that, on October 22, the defendant was driving nlong the Karamu road near the showgrounds, when he met another car. Both cars were on their correet sides, ihen the defendant swerved and had a head-on collision. One passenger in defendant 's car was seriously injured and the other two were less seriously injured. The driver of the other car asked defendant" why he swerved, and ho was- not able to- make. an explana*

tion. He later informed the polica chat he swerved to avoid a cyclist* There was a suggestion of drink, but no-i thing could he proved. The driver of the other car, W, Jacomb, of Napier, said tha£ he saw no cyelist. Defendant swerved so Sudden-> ly that witness had no time to apply his bralces to prevent the collision. For tlie defendant, it was state'd that ho had had family worries. "I will take into consideration that the man has had trouble, but that doesn't justify him," commented the Magistrate. He's a menace on the road." ■