MOTOR BUS SMASH

Hokitika Guardian, 4 October 1927, Page 1

MOTOR BUS SMASH

SEQUEL IN COURT

GREYMOUTH, Oct. 4

The sequel to a motor smash that occurred near the Camp station on the Runanga road, when a bus driven by James Low, junr., containing twentyeight passengers, went over a hank, was heard at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Air AY. Afeldrum. S.AI. Low was charged with (1) Carrying a greater number of passengers than the bus was licensed to carry; and (2) That ho approached a railway crossing at a speed of more than ten miles an hour, when within 100 yards of the crossing.

. Summing up the evidence the B.AI. said that tho first charge was admitted. Tho other charge was in a dif- , foii'iif position. Witnesses who were aboard the Inis at the time had estimated its speed at about 20 miles per hour, and Low admitted that lie was doing 18 miles per hour. The facts as to what happened seemed to make it clear the speed of the bus made perfect control unlikely. Had be been going at ten. miles per hour, it was absurd to think that he could not | have stopped the bus in the distance I between the railway crossing notices, j 101) yards away, and the- crossing itself. It was his duty under the Act to have slowed down to within ten miles per hour 100 yards from the line, and to have stopped at the line if necessary. There was something in the statement by one witness, that Low appeared to he timing his Ims so as to cut in behind the train after it passed, and that his judgment was at fault, anil reached the crossing too soon. Low said that lie put both brakes on, hut they did not net. There was other evidence, to say, however, that they tested the brakes and found them in good order. That bore out the theory about Low appearing to time tlie progress of the bus to cut in lie hind the train. Perhaps he was careless or negligent in his control of the bus from the moment he got to the crossing notice, or lie was careless in not having his brakes in proper condition. He had many more passengers than ho was authorised to carry, and that made the bus cumbersome: this also put the onus on him. In his opinion, defendant was guilty of negligence in approaching the mossing, and that he exceeded the ten miles an hour limit.

Low "'as convicted and fined £2 with costs on each charge, Court costs amounting to £2 2s, and witness’s expenses Cl 12s fid. making a- total of £9 14s fid.