CRAZY DRIVING

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20733, 17 February 1939, Page 8

CRAZY DRIVING

RACE AROUND STREETS SEQUEL TO ARGUMENT AMAZING STORY IX COURT (By Telegrapn.—Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Friday An amazing story of a race between three motor-cars around a block of streets in South Brighton was related to Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., by Senior-Sergeant Felton in the Magistrate’s Court this morning when three motorists were each charged with dangerous driving and amongst them were fined £4 2. Senior-Sergeant Felton, describing the race, said that witnesses were amazed at the display of crazy driving. The cars swerved around corners in shingle, veering right over to the wrong side and at times turning on two wheels. Motorists in the vicinity were scared to move. Heavy Fines Imposed The three men, who were represented by Mr C. S. Thomas, were Douglas Ireland Wakeley, Patrick John Flood and lan Ross Little. Each driver’s license was endorsed and Wakeley was fined £lO and Flood and Little each £l6. Quoting different witnesses, SeniorSergeant Felton said that one described the speed of the cars as terrific; another said he saw one car take a left turn so fast that when he straightened up he was about four feet from the right-hand gutter; while another said he saw r one car travel for about 30 feet on two wheels after taking a corner. Room “Reeked” With Beer At length the cars stopped outside a house, continued the seniorsergeant, and the drivers went inside. On getting out of his car one driver was observed to stumble and practically fall. The police and a traffic inspector called at the house later in the day when they found the men in a room which simply reeked with the smell of beer, but a man who had been a passenger in one o/ the cars was the only one under the influence of liquor. “It all arose from an argument as to whether a small car could beat a large one around a short course,” said Mr Thomas. “The argument got hotter during the day and in the end they decided to find out.” Fines Total £42 Mr Thomas made a plea that rather than cancel the men’s licenses the magistrate should make the fines heavier. Little's license, in particular, was his livelihood. The magistrate made Wakeley's penalty £lO and the endorsement of liis license and fined the others £l6 and costs.