GIRL CYCLIST KILLED
Apparently Struck By Car
A fatal accident occurred on the North road, near the Karitane Hospital, about 11 o’clock last night. The victim, who was cycling towards her home at Makarewa, was: —
Miss Roberta Fotheringham, aged 17 1/2 years, daughter of Mr Robert Fotheringham, Makarewa. She was employed by the Blue Star Taxis, and was apparently struck by a motor-car when returning form work.
About 11 o’clock Mr F. L. Price, a resident of Waikiwi, heard the crash of the accident, which happened not far from his house. He was the first to arrive on the scene and immediately communicated with the police.
The girl was found on the footpath 76 feet from her cycle. She suffered severe head injuries and both her legs were broken. Death appeared to have been instantaneous. The cycle was completely wrecked. -Southland Times, 15/12/1943.
HIT AND RUN CASE AT WAIKIWI
Police Inquiries So Far Fruitless
The Invercargill police, up to a late hour last night, had met with no success in their inquiries about the motorist who allegedly knocked down and killed Miss Roberta Fotheringham on the North Road on Tuesday night. They would welcome any information from persons who passed along the road about 11 o’clock that night.
The damaged condition of the girl’s bicycle, which was brought into the Invercargill police station yesterday, shows that the cyclist must have been hit by a motor vehicle travelling at a fast speed. The point of impact was gauged to be about 12 inches inside the edge of the bitumen on the left side of the road facing north. That fact and the condition of the bicycle suggest that the car was travelling on its wrong side of the road and that the cyclist was struck head-on. The front wheel of the machine was smashed beyond repair.
The body of the girl was found about 75 feet from the point of impact. She might have been carried a good part of that distance on the bonnet of the car. -Southland Times, 16/12/1943.
THE INVERCARGILL FATALITY.
In the City Police Court this afternoon, before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., William Thomas Small, aged 23, bushman, of Lumsen, and Manson McCormick, aged 33, salesman, at Sumner, Christchurch, were charged with negligently driving a motor car at Invercargill on Tuesday, thereby causing the death of Roberta Fotheringham. Senior-detective T. Y. Hall appeared for the police, and Mr Mark Hanan appeared for the accused. Senior-detective Hall asked for a remand for the accused to appear at Invercargill next Monday. He said they had been arrested in Dunedin this morning by Detective J. Russell. A young woman had been killed by a motor car about 11 o'clock on Tuesday night at Waikiwi, near Invercargill, and left lying by the roadside. One of the accused had been driving the car, and the other had been sitting in the back seat. The car had later been found at Dunedin. Accused were remanded, bail being refused meantime. -Evening Star, 16/12/1943.
HIT AND-RUN CHARGE.
TWO MEN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL
(P.A.) INVERCARGILL, Dec. 22.
Eleven witnesses were called by the police to-day, when Mason McCormick, salesman, of Sumner, Christchurch, and William Thomas Small, bushman, of Lumsden, appeared before Justices of the Peace, in the Magistrate’s Court jointly charged with being in charge of a motor vehicle involved in an accident which resulted in injuries to Roberta Fotheringham, and failing to stop. They were also charged with negligently driving a motor vehicle on December 14, thereby causing the death of Roberta Fotheringham.
Detective J. C. Russell, of Dunedin, read a statement made by Small in which he said that he was driving McCormick’s car along the North Road on the night of December 14. McCormick was in the front seat beside him, asleep. He swerved to miss some cows and felt a bump. He woke up McCormick and told him he thought he had hit a cow. McCormick told him to carry on, as it did not matter about hitting a cow.
Small said in the statement that he saw no cyclist. The two were staying in Invercargill that night and went to Dunedin the next morning. The first he knew of the girl’s death and of a cyclist being knocked down by a car, was when he saw a report in a newspaper. He had made up his mind to go to the police, but a detective came to the hotel in Dunedin. McCormick, according to Small’s statement, was under the influence of liquor on the night of December 14, but Small was sober.
The detective also read a statement made to him by McCormick. Both accused were committed for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court in Invercargill. An application for bail was refused. -Ashburton Guardian, 21/12/1943.
NEGLIGENCE, CAUSING DEATH
MOTORIST REMANDED FOR SENTENCE
(P.A.) INVBRCARGILL, Feb. 24.
A verdict of guilty on a charge of negligently driving a motor car and causing the death of Roberta Fotheringham was returned against William Thomas Small, of Lumsden, by the jury in the Supreme Court this afternoon. Small was found not guilty on charges of failing to stop after the accident and of failing to ascertain if anyone was injured in the accident.
Mason McCormick, of Christchurch, who was charged with abetting Small in the commission of these two alleged offences, thus becoming party to them, was also found not guilty.
Before discharging McCormick, Mr Justice Kennedy asked the Crown Prosecutor, Mr H. J. Macalister, if he could direct his attention to any section of the statute which would permit him to deal with a person who, although acquitted, should not, in the opinion of a judge, hold a motor driver's license.
Mr Macalister: I am not able to do so at the moment, your Honour.
Small was remanded in custody for sentence until Monday. -Evening Star, 25/2/1944.
Nine Months' Hard Labour For Negligent Driving
(P.A.) INVERCARGILL, Feb. 28.
William Thomas Small, who was found guilty on Thursday of negligently driving a motor-car thereby causing the death of Roberta Fotheringham on December 15, was sentenced in the Supreme Court to-day to nine months' hard labour, and disqualified from holding a driver's licence for four years. -Hawkes Bay Herald-Tribune, 28/2/1944.
IN MEMORIAM
FOTHERINGHAM. — In loving memory of our dear Berta (Roberta Mary), accidentally killed at Waikiwi, December 14, 1943.
“’Til we meet again.”
— Inserted by her loving mother, father, sisters and brothers.
FOTHERINGHAM. — In loving memory of Roberta, who was accidentally killed on the North Road on December 14, 1943.
God knows the way, He holds the key,
He guides us with unerring hand;
Someday with tearless eyes we’ll see,
And then up there we’ll understand.
— Ever remembered by Bunty and Bert.
FOTHERINGHAM. — In loving memory of Roberta Fotheringham, who was killed on the North Road, Waikiwi, on December 14, 1943.
To a beautiful life came a sudden end;
She died as she lived, Everyone’s friend.
— Inserted by her sorrowing friends, the Hughes Family, Clifden. -Southland Times, 14/12/1944.
No comments:
Post a Comment