NEGLIGENT MOTORIST.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3658, 28 June 1927, Page 3

NEGLIGENT MOTORIST.

GIRL CYCLIST RUN DOWN.

PROOF PROVIDED BY APPLE.

GISBORNE June 25. When a little girl placed an apple in her pocket before leaving home on a recent evening she little knew that the Iruit would play an important part in a case against a motorist heard in the

Police Court. ' It was stated by the police that when interviewed after the girl had been knocked over the motorist concerned denied all knowledge of the accident. However, it was shown that before leaving home the child placed in her pocket an apple from which a piece hs*T been bitten, and when the car was examined by the police the apple was found wedged between the mudguard and the radiator. “An apple caused the first downfall of man,” remarked counsel for the defence during the hearing of the case, “and I hope this one will not cause the defendant to fall too heavily.” The case was one in which Thomas Johnstone Cooper pleaded guilty to charges of negligent driving, failing to notify the police of an accident, and failing to stop after an accident. Senior-Sergeant Fitzpatrick explained that a child, aged about 12 years, who was riding a bicycle, was run into by a car. The girl and the bicycle were picked up by the car and carried to the left-hand side of the road where the girl fell off. Defendant drove back into the middle of the road and continued without stopping. BOY PURSUES THE CAR, A boy who was near at hand jumped on to his bicycle and chased defendant. He succeeded in catching up with the car and noting the number and also obtaining a view of defendant’s face. This information he conveyed to the police.

The senior-sergeant submitted that the screams of the child, who was badly bruised, should have been sufficient for the defendant to have pulled up and it appeared that he continued on his way to evade detection. “I submit that his action was cowardly in the extreme,” the senior-sergeant continued, “and in my opinion such a man is not fit to be driving a car. I wish also to publicly thank the boy for his prompt action.” Counsel for defendant stated that the latter had had no knowledge of the accident and two other men who were with him had not seen it. The weather that evening was very bad, and the corner was one of the worst in the town, a high hedge obscuring the view. The defendant was just “crawling” round the corner with the rain beating on the windscreen. Those conditions constituted one of the greatest difficulties motorists experienced. THE MAGISTRATE’S VIEWS. “If the facts outlined by the police were substantiated it would be about tlie most callous and brutal act that anyone could imagine,” said the magistrate. “Against that we have counsel's suggestion, but 1 cannot treat tlie matter lightly, tor public life and safety must be protected. The thing that puzzles me is how. a man striking a bicycle and carrying it and its rider a few yards could have been unaware of the 'accident when the sound of tlie crash aroused the neighbourhood. “Tlie fact that the defendant was on his wrong side appears to be admitted. Had the evidence of the police been substantiated 1 would have treated tlie matter very seriously, but under the circumstances I don’t think I shall take defendant’s licence away. 1 cannot, however, treat the offence lightly. The defendant will be fined £ll on the first charge, and £2 on each of the others, witji costs.”