THREE MEN KILLED

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19883, 12 May 1936, Page 8

THREE MEN KILLED

MOTORIST FOR TRIAL.

WHATAWHATA COLLISION SEQUEL THIRTEEN WITNESSES CALLED. NEGLIGENCE ALLEGED. Thirteen witnesses were called by the police in the Lower Court hear—ing of a charge of negligent driving so as to cause the death at three persons, which was preferred against Leonard Rea)‘ Grogan, aged 26, labourer. of Hamilton, before .\ll‘ J. G. L. Hewitt. S..\i., in the Police Court at Hamilton to—day. The charge was the sequel to a collision which occurred between ac—cused's truck containing a party of public works employees and a lorry driven by James Richard Gore. near \‘S'hatawhata on March 18. three of the occupants. \\‘illiani Aikinan. aged 27, ot’ VVhatawhata, Henry Lewis \Vi-lliams, 3‘7, and William Oliver Lester Jarvis, (3‘2, 01' Fi'ankton, receiving fatal injuries. In conjunction with the bearing of the charge, an inquest was conducted by the coroner, Mr I". W. Platts. Mr \V. J. King. appeared for the accused, Mr A. L. Tompkins for Gore, the driver of the second lorry, .\lr Ft. \\'. Bennett for Mrs \\'illinms_ Mr E. F. Clayton—Greene for Mrs Aikman and Mr J. F. Strang for Mrs Jarvis, widows of the deceased. The prosecution was conducted by Sergeant ’l‘. Kelly. A registered surveyor, of Hamilton, Harry G. Hall, stated that the scene or the collision was on the ‘Karamu Road, about three miles past \Vhatawhata. The back of Gore’s lorry showed that he was right ott’ the road with his left wheels, the right wheels showing in the water channel on his correct side Evidence of DriverA civil engineer employed by the Public \Vorks Department, Michael James Thomas, stated that he did not consider the camber of the road at the point, of the accident excessive or dangerous while the vision was at least 30 yards in either direction. Constable V. C. Naylor produced photographs taken at the scene of the collision. James Richard Gore, farmer, of Te Pahn. told the Court that at 5.30 pm. on March 18 he was proceeding to T 8 Pahu along the Whatawbata-Karamu Road in a truck owned by his father. Un approaching a bend to the left from a slight incline he was travelling at about. 23 miles per hour and saw a motor truck approaching at a speed of 25 to 30 miles per hour. It was so far on its incorrect side of the road that witness felt sure an accident would result. He steered into the bank and applied the brakes, his right wheels being in the water—table and the left wheels on the bank ofif the. road. He had taken this step in an attempt to avoid a head—on collision.

Accused's truck swerved across the road but insufficiently to avoid a cot—lisiont witness‘ lorry being struck by the superstructure. which was torn from Grogan's \‘ehirlei Accused's truck travelled on for about a chain past the point of impact. Three oc-uupant-s were injured and witness said he communicated immediately with the ambulance station and the police. To Mr BEnnett. witness added that he had not sounded the horn when he saw Grngan‘s tl‘lll‘k approaching The brakes of the lorry were in good order and the rough ground was. in his opinion. the cause of his lorry travelling its own length after the impact. Grogan did not appear to see what was happening. On Incorrect Side. A passenger in Grogan‘s truck at the time of the collision, Thomas \Villiam Gooch, of Frankton, said he was sit—ting in the front seat. with Mr Ryan and the driver. He did not see Gore‘s lorry until it was about a. chain from the point of impact. Accused's truck was travelling on its incorrect side at from 15 to 17 miles per hour. the camber and corrugations on the road preventing Grognn from regaining the lefthand side without the back of the vehicle swinging, There was a “blind patch" on the road and it was im—possible tor tit‘ogan to have seen Gore‘s lorry at an earlier stage. lie was followingr the normal course of traffic in coming down the decline on his incorrect sitlv and the vehicle was under proper control until the ac—rusert swerved in an endemour to avoid the culiision Cost. of Trip Shared. “I was rolling; a cigarette and did not see the lorry approachingi" stated Patrirk Ryan. a passenger in the front seat of Grnxan's truck, who said he. had little recollnvttnn ut‘ the circumstances leading up in the accident. To Mr Stl‘ang'. witness said the Pub« lic “Works Department was aware of the method of conwt‘ance. the ex« penses being covered by each member of the part} contributing to the cost to! the benzine. They could have camped at the location or the work at "i‘e Pahui Alien Falls Miller. a passenger on the inside of Grogan's truck. said the vehicle. was titled with seats on the loutside. the three deceased sitting on lthe right-hand Sltlt‘, which was torn toi‘t' in the ('Ullisioir Un account of ithe bumpy suri'tire of the road, the ‘iruck was travelling at a very slow irate. Answering .\lr Bennett, witness added that no arrangements for trans“ port, were made by the Public \\ urits Impartmcnt and alluwanres eitttci- in time or payment were not granted Similar D\i|lt‘lll‘t‘ was. tt-ntiered by two other paswnarrs, Juhn ii-i'tng and Leslie t’tcorai- .\tzn-ttn. Details ul’ invasnn-inrnts taken after the collision were giwn it) tinnstahlc (i, (I. ltunnellyt 'i'lir. \\'IIL'(‘I‘LJKKCI\'S showed the ilt‘CllHt“l to lie truwlling on his ihi'drrt‘rt shin but after the ini—lHH‘l had t'ul'l'h‘ll on to the lull. Later. witness stiltt. he inlvri'icwrtt the tie. rused. who made it htillt‘llli‘ill at’lirniing that tht- l'ttllllil‘t‘ hull pruwntml hint t’rotn regaining the t'ttl'i'ttt’i httlu ”1' the l'titltl. lttni Iht' t'ntniillun ut' the rintt imcn rcasunanln‘ art-mm] thought he ruuld haw u\Ultlt'tl :lti: (ll'l'ltit'lll. Medical Evidence.\lt‘dit'tll midi-urt- \\.t.~ it‘inlt-i-ui lly lJr. .I. llmi and lir, it. .I. lit .\JL‘t‘i'L‘tl) ul' tltl' [llt‘Lnt'ill slitt'i' nl' illi' \\'tiil\:ttu Him. pittil. ’i'lu' t‘t't't‘tt.~t'tl Jams ildtt Ilii‘.l :t “I11111.0“”It‘lltlllitUl‘tllt'dl'v'illgutv «icatli lieins’ title to short; and lacera-

Lion of the right lung. Aikman had suffered head and internal injuries and (lied in hospital on March 24. Wil—liams had succumbed before arrival at. the hospital from extensive head injuries and laceration of the brain. 1 The transport officer of the. St. lJohn's AmbulanCo Brigade in Hamilton, John Scohie, said he had been called lie the accident at \Vhaiawhata. \\'il‘liams was dead and the other two men were seriously injured. Williams' head illplJßal‘L‘d to have been pierced through :by a metal rod. ‘ Grogan pleaded not guilty and re‘mnwcd his defence. He was committed to the supreme Court at Hamillon for lriul, bail being allowed in one I“new or £SO and the accused‘s own r-ugnisnnco for a similar sum. The inquest, was adjourned until after the vompletiun of the Supreme Court pro—coatings. MEL: