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Somerset County Herald and Taunton Courier Saturday 20 Sep 1947
Page 6 Column 7
Curry Rivel Cyclist Injured
Motorist Fined £10 at Langport
At Langport Magistrates' Court on Monday, before Mr. T. WATSON and other justices Harry Charles PIPE, withy worker, of Listock, Wrantage, was summoned for driving a motor truck without due care and attention and for failing to stop after an accident. He was defended by Mr. R. B. MANGNALL and pleaded not guilty.
Charles William STENSON, postman, of North Curry, said at abut midnight he left Curry Rivel to drive a party home in his car. When about 200 yards from Fivehead Garage defendant's truck overtook at about 25 miles an hour and collided with two cyclists who were approaching.
Thomas George BURGE, 22, a leading aircraftsman on demobilisation leave, of Underhill, Curry Rivel, who appeared in Court on crutches, said he was cycling with his brother. They were abreast until they saw the lights of two vehicles approaching and then they went into single file. The overtaking truck could easily have got to its proper side of the road but it came straight from them. Witness added that he received a compound fracture of the right leg and had four stitches inserted in his face. - William James BURGE said he rode on to the grass verge to avoid being hit.
Donald Charles COATE, Sedgemoor, North Curry, a passenger in defendant's vehicle, said they left the Westport Inn at closing time and went to a dance at Curry Rivel. On the way home they were overtaking the other car when he saw two lights approaching. He thought they were the side lights of a car, until one went behind the other. He heard a noise like a stick hitting the wheel and Pipe said “That was a near shave.” They did not stop.
FINED AND DISQUALIFIED.
P.C. WAITE said defendant told him “If I hit anything I was unaware of it. Had I known I would have stopped.” - P.S. FREKE said defendant made a later statement, saying the lights approaching him were the two cyclists and not a car. They were in single file and he allowed them plenty of room.
Defendant, in evidence, said he thought he was approaching two stationary cars. As he served to pass he found that Mr. STENSON's car was just moving and then he realised that there were two cyclists approaching in single file. There was no reason why the cyclists could not have passed safely. - In reply to Supt. HANHAM, defendant admitted that he had been harvesting for 15 hours that day and that he had been to a dance that evening, but he denied that when driving home he was not properly alert.
On the first summons PIPE was fined £10, with £1 8s 6d costs, and he was disqualified from driving for a month. The summons for failing to stop was dismissed.