EKETAHUNA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 May 1941, Page 7

EKETAHUNA

DRIVER ACQUITTED TRIAL AT PALMERSTON NORTH. (“Times-Age” Special.) After a retirement of 35 minutes, a jury in the Supreme Court at Palmerston North on Monday found Vincent Frederick Norman Capes, of Eketahuna,' driver of a motor-lorry involved in a collision with a car, not guilty of failing to stop and ascertaining whether any person was injured. Mr Justice Blair presided. Mr H. R. Cooper appeared for the Crown and Mr A. M. Ongley for the accused. Mr Cooper said the collision occurred on the evening of April 4 last on the Masterton-Pahiatua road. Mr Henry Hirst, a Konini farmer, was driving his car to Pahiatua and about a mile from town a collision with a lorry occurred. The driver of the latter vehicle failed to stop and'to. see whether anyone was injured. Actually no one was injured. Five witnesses were called for the Crown. Mr Ongley said the accused did not dispute that it was his lorry that had been involved in the collision, but the offence with which he was chargedfailure to stop after an accident —assumed that he had knowledge that there had been an accident. This was a case of a glancing blow between a heavy truck and a light car, with the point of collision behind the driver and under these circumstances counsel suggested that accused’s statement to the police that he had not known there had been an accident, was a reasonable explanation for his failure to stop. After the jury had announced its verdict, accused was discharged. Eketahuna R.S.A. The Eketahuna returned soldiers will hold their annual reunion at the Odd Fellows' Hall on Saturday evening. Members of the fighting services on leave are cordially invited to attend.