LORRY WITHOUT LIGHTS.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 289, 23 May 1929, Page 4

LORRY WITHOUT LIGHTS.

SEQUEL TO COLLISION. Driver Fined. At the May sitting of the Magistrate’s Court at Putaruru held on Thursday, before Mr. S. L. Pater-, son, S.M., Andrew Clark Shaw pleaded guilty to a charge of driving a motor truck along the Arapuni road on March 27 last without having such vehicle equipped with two head lights. Constable J. Murphy stated that the defendant was employed by J. W Ross, of Hamilton, on the evening of the charge. Shaw was taking some bitumen out to Arapuni, and should have gone earlier, but he had tea first with the result that darkness came on and in going out he met a motor cycle with two person thereon on a straight portion of the road. Shaw, in a statement, said that he swerved to the side of the road and pulled up, the cyclist crashing into him. The cyclist denied that the defendant pulled up, but said that the truck ran over his ankle, inflicting injuries. Counsel for defendant said that there was little to be said. Shaw was a temporary driver and was not supposed to be carrying out this particular trip, but as he was due to go for a holiday he decided to do the trip that evening. He was new to the lorry and did not check the lights, which he soon found out were not in working order. This being so he took ever) - precaution, and when he saw, the motor cycle approaching he stopped on the side of the road. The motor cycle stopped and wavered. If the lorry had passed over the cyclist’s leg it would be feasible to expect it to have broken the ankle. The injury to the leg was sustained through the cyclist being thrown on to the road by contact with the lorry.

Remarking that, he supposed a civil claim would be likely to follow, the Magistrate convicted and fined Shaw £1 with court costs 10s.