Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 18 September 1931
Student’s Smash.
Conisboro’ Dangerous Driving Case Dismissed.
At Doncaster on Tuesday, Robert W. J. Maclure, student, Conisboro’, was charged with riding a motor cycle to the danger of the public. The charge was the sequel to an accident at Conisboro’ on March 28th, when Maclure collided with a motor lorry and suffered a broken leg and arm.
He was represented by Mr. W. L. Crawford, and pleaded “not guilty.”
P.c. Nellist said he was walking along Old Road, Conisboro’ towards Hill Top when the defendant passed him on a motor cycle at a speed of between 30 and 40 miles per hour. Immediately afterwards witness heard a crash and saw defendant had collided with a lorry at the junction of Garden Lane and Old Road. The motor cyclist had his leg and arm fractured end was semi-conscious. His machine was badly damaged.
In reply to Mr. Crawford: The lorry came out of Garden Lane on the wrong side of the road. He knew defendant’s injuries necessitated his spending six weeks in bed. Witness had since ascertained that defendant did not come off his cycle as a result of the impact, but was still of opinion that he travelled at an excessive speed .
The driver of the lorry, Frederick A. Wallace, green grocer, Balby, said he was going down Garden Lane at 5 miles per hour, because he had to pass several people and a stationary motor car. He was at a standstill when the motor cycle ran into him.
Roland Earl, Balby, who was assisting Wallace, said the motor cyclist could have steered his machine round the lorry.
The case was dismissed without evidence for the defence being called, the Chairman (Mr. G. E. Cooke-Yarborough) saying the Bench would not convict , as the lorry driver had unfortunately come out of the road on the wrong side.