DEATH OF CYCLISTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 197, 9 November 1927, Page 1

DEATH OF CYCLISTS

MOTORIST JFACES TRIAL SEQUEL TO HILLCREST FATALITY

(From Our Own Correspondent) HAMILTON, Tuesday

The deaths of John Ward and Walter Thornton Reynolds, as a result of the collision between a motor-cycle and a motor-car, had its sequel in the Magistrate’s Court to-day, when John Blair, j aged 20, the driver of the car, ap- j peared before Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., | on a charge of negligent driving, thereby causing death. Evidence was given at the inquest yesterday that Ward was driving a light motor-cycle up the Hillcrest Hill at about 6.30 p.m. on October 15, and Reynolds was riding behind him on the machine. When they reached Miller’s corner a collision occurred with a car driven by Blair. Ward was killed instantaneously and Reynolds died shortly afterwards in the hospital. In giving his verdict this afternoon the coroner said it was the duty of the coroner in such cases, not only to find out the cause of death, but to ascertain whether any person or persons were to blame in causing death. For that reason he had closely investigated the circumstances with the assistance of the police. The evidence was clear that the cyclists were on their correct side and that the motor-car came round the corner on the wrong side at a high rate of speed and hit the motor-cycle. Blair was a stranger in the country, he had no licence to drive. Appar- | ently his object was to catch up with ' | White’s car, which he thought was in I | front of him. The coroner pointed out discrepancies in the evidence of Mrs. Blair and White j and said that White’s evidence as to ; the speed at which he was travelling could not be correct. A verdict was returned that John Ward’s death was due to injuries sustained in a collision between his motorcycle and a motor-car driven by John I Blair. He further found that Blair 1 had caused Ward s and Reynolds’s death by driving his car in a manner and at a speed which was reckless and dangerous. Senior-Sergeant Sweeney asked for a remand until Tuesday. ! Mr. J. F. Strang, who appeared for Blair, asked for bail. He mentioned | that Blair was a native of Auckland and had been absent in Australia for j a few years. Bail was allowed in £2OO, ,with two j sureties of £IOO each.