FATAL ACCIDENT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 100, 14 May 1937, Page 5

FATAL ACCIDENT

Napier Man Face«i Charge of Negligeni Dnving ELDERLY MAfFS PEATH A charge of negligent driving caufi-> ing death was preferred against Erneat Reginald Hulford, of Port Ahuriri^ metal worker, in the Napier Magig-^ crate's Court this moraxing before Mr J. Miller, S.M. The charge was ai sequel to an accident in Breakwater; road, Port Ahuriri, on May 3, when, iWilUaxu Alexander Clark, & xetixeil bjookseller, aged 70, received fatal in^ juries in a collision with a motor-cycle ridden by the accused. A coroner inquept . was condueted with the pro-> ceedings in connectiion with the charge* Mr H. Dowling appeared for the ac-' cusedt1 and the prosecution was con-i ducted by Sergeant 'G. F. Bonisch, Mr. M. R. Grant appeared for Mr Clark J3 relatives; Summary charges arxsing out of the police inquiries into the accident were first dealt with. . Defendant pleaded guilty to operating a motor-cycle not equipped. with footrests for a passeng»ry to driving without a licence, to opetjkti ing the nxachine when it had not a warrant of fitness, and to operating the uxachxne when not in posseesion of th» endorsed licence and certifieate pf the' change of ownershdp. Mr Dowling said, in regard to the latter charge, that the defendant had not bought the machine outright, but was paying by. instalmente, and he. thought he could not have the papers until all the purchase-money was paid.In regard to the licence, defendant had approached Mr A. M. Oliyer and asked for a test, biit had been put off for one ■ncticUltumiuuiiiujunnm^AiiiiiiHWBWBSTr

week. Footrests had been bought and paid for before the accident, but had been foxxnd. to be the wrong slze, and had had to be changed. The charge regarding tho warrant was brouglxt about by pure neglect, and was tbc first to be heard un the Court. Fiues totalling £2 10/- were imposed. Sergeant Bonisch said that on May 3 accused was the xider of a nxotorbicycle which had fatally injured a man named Clark in a collision. The police alleged that the accident waa due to accused 's negligence. Dr. J. C. Lopdell, house surgeon at the Napier Public Hospital, said that Mr Clark was in a state of stupor when Jxo entered "the hospital. There wero small abrasions but no major injuries on the body, and above the right eye there was a large bruise which exten.ded to the ear. He died at about eight o 'clock from haemorrhage dnto ,the brain stem due to concussion.. Her father usually wore xeadingglasses, said Rosamund Clark, although his eyesight was moderately good. His hearing was not perfect, but witness considered that he would have no difficulty in hearing the xxxotor-cycle approaching. Mr Dowling . referred dn cross* examinatxon to the witness 's evidence of identification at the inquest, when she had said that she had to complain about her father's hearing. Witness replied that she considered that thdg was due to inattention and not to deafness. The case was proceeding when the Herald-Tribune went to presl this afternoon.