South Yorkshire Times, Friday, August 26, 1932
Cyclist Knocked Down
Denaby Motorist Fined
Stopped To Scold
An incident on Low Road, Conisborough, July 18th, involved Edward Robinson, “Sunnyside,” Doncaster Road, Denaby, enginewright at Denaby Colliery, in a fine of £5 for driving a motor-car without due care and attention; and costs of further summonses for failing to stop after an accident, and failing to report an accident.
He was defended by Br. C. R. Marshall when the case was heard at Doncaster on Tuesday. John Henry Spriggs, a young miner, 67 Thompson Avenue, Denaby, said he and Thomas Morris were riding bicycles in Low Road on the evening of July 18th, at a walking pace. They were within a yard of the kerb and left of the road and Morris was two or three yards in front of witness. They were near the Park, approaching the bend in the road, when witness felt a bump on his back wheel and the next he knew was that he was on the ground with his cycle on top of him. He did not hear the car approaching or the sound of a horn. He was dazed, though uninjured. Someone shouted: “Have you got the car number?” and he replied. “No.” The back wheel of his cycle was buckled, the carrier and a rear lamp broken, and the wheel fork loosened. He notified the police.
In answer to a question by Mr. Marshall, Spriggs said he saw no other traffic on the road, nor any other cyclist behind him. When he got up the car was disappearing round the bend. He did not swerve before the accident. He had not seen Robinson before that day. He got the number of the car from a witness of the accident.
Thomas Morris, surface worker, 55, Thompson Avenue, said he was riding just in front of Spriggs. He heard the sound of a car approaching behind them. He turned his head and saw Spriggs had been knocked off. He went to his assistance. He thought the car was of the saloon type. He saw its registration letters were U.P. but did not catch the number. He called to the driver, “Hey upl look what you have done,” and saw the driver turn his head as he rounded the bend. The driver did not stop.
Lydia Briggs, 8 Ferry Terrace, said she was walking near the spot and was looking round for her friends when she saw the car knock the rear cyclist off his machine. She took the number of the car, which was U.P. 94. There were no other cyclists or other vehicles on the road at the time.
Nora Fitton, another girl witness, gave similar evidence.
P.c. Dobson said he received the complaint of the incident the same evening and after inquiries, interviewed Robinson the following evening. Robinson admitted he owned the car and that he was driving in Low Road at the time stated. When told he would be reported, be said, “It was only trivial. I did stop, but I didn’t get out of my car.” He added that he was going steadily because he had just passed a steam lorry. It was the cyclist who struck the car because he was “wobbling about.”
Cross-examined, P.c. Dobson said he examined the car but found no marks on it.
Mr. Marshall said Robinson had been driving for the last ten years, and had driven his present car 40,000 miles, without mishap or complaint. He was a careful driver but on the evening of July 18th, was driving with special care, because he was taking out his wife who was recovering from a serious illness and was in a highly nervous state. He was not moving at more than 10 miles an hour at the time. He passed the rear one of the two cyclists and was moving abreast of the front one when the latter turned his bead. His cycle swerved over to the right with the movement, right in the track of the car; but so slowly was Robinson moving that he stopped dead. The cyclist then saw his predicament, and, swinging his handlebars round to the left, overbalanced and fell clear of the car with his machine. Robinson then leaned across in front of his wife, opened the near door, and scolded the cyclists for playing about the read to the danger of other people.
Robinson, in evidence, said he sounded his horn on approaching the cyclists and the rear one drew further in towards the kerb. The front cyclist took no notice till he turned his head. Both cyclists stood by the car while he spoke to them and neither attempted to reply.
In cross examination Robinson persisted that it was the leading cyclist who fell. He recognised him as the boy with glasses (Morris wore glasses). He did not recognise Spriggs.
Ernest Mason, motor engineer, Frederick Street, Mexborough, said he examined Sprigg’s cycle on Aug. 18th and found no damage consistent with the prosecution’s story, except that the carrier was torn off the stay.
The Chairman (Mr. G. E. Cooke-Yarborougb ) objected that it was not much use submitting evidence of the condition of the cycle a month after the accident. They did not know had happened to it in the meantime.
Mr . Marshall replied that he understood the cycle had not been used since the accident, pending the hearing of the case.