DEATH OF CYCLIST

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 567, 21 January 1929, Page 1

DEATH OF CYCLIST

KNOCKED DOWN BY CAR DRIVER SENT FOR TRIAL The charge against Cyril. Sydney Clarke, of recklessly and negligently driving a motor-car so as to cause the death of Hugh Alexander Cammock, on December 13, was continued at the Otahuhu Court, before Mr. F. H. Levien, S.M., on Saturday. Depositions for the inquest were taken at the same time. Mr. Ernest Elliott ‘Clarke, a farmer, of Maramarua, and father of the accused, was the first witness. Me stated that he was riding in the car in company with his son on the night of the accident. Te estimated the maximum speed at 25 miles an hour. Before reaching the stcwie crusher at Otahuhu he saw a person approaching on a bicycle. The cyclist was on the correct side of the road when 30 yards away, but when within approximately seven yeards of the car he swerved m front of the car. and as he straightened up the collision took place. His son applied the brakes, but the cyclist struck the pillar of the windscreen, and the bicycle hung on to the front of the car. With his son. he went back "to the scene of the impact, and found the cyclist apparently dead, and he removed the body to the side of the road, out of the way of the trafi>>. Witness immediately sent his son, who is 17 years of age, for the police and a doctor. He accompanied the police to the station, and gave particulars of the accident, but refused to sign a statement, and also advised his son not to sign one. Dr. E. O. Rowley stated that he found the body lying on the side of a the road. There were extensive injuries to the left side of the body, and the head was crushed. There was a quantity of glass scattered on the stonecrusher side of the road. Life was extinct when he arrived. EVIDENCE OF SPEED

Miss Linda Bell Cochrane said that she was standing with her sister and two friends at the front gate of her home, on the Great South Road, at the time of the accident. Her attention was drawn to the car on account of the excessive speed at which it was travelling, and she felt a rush of wind as the car passed. Shortly after she heard a crash, and thought the car had hit a telegraph pole. The remark was made that “it served him right” for going so far. There were a number of cars passing, but this car attracted attention on account of the speed at which it was travelling.

Miss Edna Cochrane, sister of previous witness, and employed in the Wairoa Public Hospital, corroborated the evidence of the previous witness regarding the excessive speed of the car. Norman Whyte, of Otahuhu, also gave evidence of the excessive speed at which the car was travelling, and expressed the opinion, when the car was passing, that it would come to pieces on the new deviation, and when he heard the crash he thought the car had hit a post or capsized. Arnold John Collings, tinsmith, employed at the Westfield freezing works, stated that on the night of the acci_dent he and Cammock were working overtime. He last saw Cammock in the bicycle shed, when his bicycle lamp was burning,brightly. Constable Pollard stated that he proceeded to the crusher in answer to a call from accused. When shown where the bicycle was, witness said to accused that it took some distance to pull the car up. The driver replied that he had some difficulty in stopping on account of the car zig-zagging. Sergeant Lambert, in charge of the Otahuhu police station, said that the accused and his father both made statements at the station, but refused to sign them. Zig-zag skid marks were showing on the road for 103 fee back. , „„„ Clarke pleaded not guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial on the charge of reckless and negligent driving. . . As coroner, Mr. Levien s verdict w that Hugh Alexander Cammock died at Otahuhu on December 13, 1928.. rim death being due to shock by injuries received through a collision with a motor-car driven by Clarke On the application of Mi. T\ ol tliciott. bail was fixed at £IOO.