Dangerous driving (1914)

Post date: Apr 26, 2014 8:27:4 PM

Extract from South Eastern Gazette of 27th October reporting on Maidstone police court:

At the same Court, Spencer Luxford, of 10, Bow Terrace, Wateringbury, was summoned for driving a motor cycle to the danger of the public, and further, for failing to stop when requested by a police constable. Mr. H. J. Bracher appeared for the defendant, who pleaded not guilty.

— P.C. Abnett stated that at 5.30 p.m. on Sunday, October 4th,he was on duty at the top of High Street when he saw a motor cycle and side car, driven by the defendant, coming along King Street. Witness signalled to defendant to proceed on the Bank street side of the High Street, but he took no notice, and came in a direct line to witness. Witness put up his hand for defendant to stop, but he still came on, and dashed between witness and the electric light standard. Defendant almost collided with a tram-car, which was standing at the top of High Street. He then swerved from one side of the road to the other, and a number of people who had just alighted from the car were obliged to run for safety. As the bicycle passed witness he called upon the defendant to stop, and also ran after him shouting, but he took no notice, and did not attempt to slacken speed. In witness’s opinion had there been anything in the defendant's way it would have been impossible for him to avoid it, as he did not think he had any control over the machine. He estimated the speed at which the bicycle was going at from ten to twelve miles per hour.

— Mr. Bracher (cross-examining) : At the time there was no vehicular traffic in the High Street, with the exception of the tram car?

— Witness: Yes, there was one car standing opposite the tram car.

— Mr. Bracher: When defendant approached you, and you waved for him to go down Bank Street, you did not think it necessary to stop him ?

— Witness : No.

— Mr. Bracher: Was he driving in a dangerous manner because he came from one side of the street to the other?

— Witness; No, it was because be passed me on, his wrong side, and nearly collided with the tram car.

— Mr. Bracher: If he had gone along beside Messrs. Blake's shop there would not have been any case, brought?

— Witness: No, there would have heen no danger then.

— Ambrose Mills, of 425,Tonbridge Road, the driver of the tramcar, gave corroborative evidence, adding that he was obliged to snatch a little girl by the arm, as he believed the side-car would have caught her.

— Addressing the Bench, Mr. Bracher said that what the police really complained of was that his client did not go on the Bank Street side of High Street. Had he done so nothing would have been said, and no summons issued. It was simply a case of misunderstanding. His client, seeing the constable wave, rode innocently by him and went on his way, thinking he had done what the constable wished.

— Defendant, who is employed by Messrs. Leney and Son, of Wateringbury, said that when he saw the constable wave he thought that he meant him to go on. He did not hear the constable call to him to stop. He was not going at more than six miles per hour, and he did not almost run over anybody.

— In reply to the Clerk, defendant said he did not see a little girl in the road, nor did he notice the tramcar at the top of High Street.

— Percy Ashby, of Wateringbury, who was in the side-car, gave corroborative evidence.

— The Bench, however, fined defendant 5s. and 11s. costs, in each case.