MAN’S DEATH

Hokitika Guardian, 12 July 1932, Page 6

MAN’S DEATH

/MOTOR DRIVER CHARGED. WITH RECKLESS DRIVING. J, Y Per Press Association— Copyright.) q CHRISTCHURCH, July 12. A charge of recklessly driving a motor car db the Alain'; South Road near ‘Ashburton on July 7 17th., thereby causing the death of Frank Major, was ; preferred against Allred William /Perrew. this morning. - 'PefrOw was. described as a • salesyears, of Arabic Road. , Auckland. Tile inquest on the death of Major f Wa's ’iieaird in conjunction with the charge. ; M ! oiief Detective Carroll said Major, 'iri - company with his employer, Boag, was'; going from Christchurch to Tiniarti’on the night' of the ace. dent. There -iVas trouble with a. truck four miles this side of Ashburton, .and it .stopped., Evidence’ would show that Major pulled to the side of tlie road,and got out to make some adjustments. While Major was there a- car came along and knocked him over and he. .sustained injuries,. Boag could .not say whose o • what car it was that knocked Alajor over.. Major/ was taken, to >• Ashburton Hospital Where he died, . while Ashburton police telephoned Christchurch. A car was seen in Christchurch outside an hotel at 1 a..m with certain marks bn it.. It \va« found that'accused was the driver, of it. . When thken out of bed Ur > .admitted it was his ear. The . marks were shown to him. ft was also pointed out that on the binges of the •door was a small piece of flesh. This had since been ex.nm/iii:d by Dr. ■Pearson, who found it to be human tissue. , Accused could not account for the marks, hilt denied hitting anything.. There was a. woman passenger in the car, however, who would say she was driving with tl% accused from Ashburton and drew his attention to "a .'/truck which she saw, and thought at first it to be two bicycles from the lights. She , saw a man at tlile *ide of the truck and when they were’ passing felt a bump, to which she also ■ drew the accused’s attention. Half a mile further on they stopped, and the accused got out to see if there was any damage./ He spoke about going back, hut decided not to., Ale cl i cal witnesses then gave evidence.

William Boag, a carrier, running .a service between Dunedin/ ad Christchurch, said Alaior was., putting the tools in a box after repa’ring' the .lorry, when thle accident ptycurred. He found Major lying on the, road badly injured. had not see or heard a oar pass/ xyliile- the ,Ibvpf was pulled up, but after the ageidiefit he no-tided one going : noirfcb ,It .was. 200 .yards' over ..pi) miibs,,ap, engine" -was V -. 1 ,ejtapd ll ed, witness said the .JPtljjhg. of the lorry' -were on t.h,e right, wheels 'W the' lorry ‘ "and would be about; three felet on to tlie •bitumen of road.

Constable i.C,. P. Burns gave evidence of examining a 'car, with the number !«74jomutside Excelsior* Clirist’Cjbjrch at 1.25 ;avin;, following a report of the aecifimit. He found the right mudguard j rtfiieJ/: ‘lamp cracked, and a doji t near the'running /bOa.rd. Later lie, noticed what appeared to be a piece /of chin, and a piece of flesh and a hair on the car. ,;;;;Sergt. Hodgkins said when intey-. viewed, the .accused said he had had no accident, asked to explain, the damage ,to:' the car, accused said, “It beats me.’’ He admitted having’ driven from Ashburton to Christchurch on the night of the accident, being accompanied by a girl. He denied ■lie had seen. any lorry parked on the side of the .road; ' ■ Later, witness, interviewed the girl. She said she had noticed the lights of a motor lorry at the side of the road near Ashburton) and drew Perrow’s attention. ;tq jt,. She also felt a bump to which she drew Perrow’s attention. Pqi-yp.w ;said-: it might cause a fuss if he stopped. When * this statement b.v the.-girl was read to Perrow, he said—“lt is not true.” Later lie -was arrested.