Mexborough and Swinton Times August 16, 1929
Runaway Van.
Collision with ‘Bus at Denaby.
As a result of an accident which occurred at Denaby on July 26th,in which a motor ice cream van ran down a hill and collided with a motorbus standing at the foot, Peter Cusack, Ice cream vendor, Denaby was summoned at Doncaster on Tuesday for driving a motor lorry negligently.
He was represented by Mr W.L. Crawford and denied the offence. He pleaded that mechanical failure goes on to lose control of the vehicle.
William Henry Ward, high Street, Mexborough said that at 9.45 a.m. on the date stated he was driving a bus from Doncaster to Mexborough and stopped at Denaby to let down passengers. He then saw defendant’s van coming backwards down the hill at Bolton Street. Witness blew his horn to call attention to the danger, but the motor collided with the bus. Defendant said his clutch had gone, but he said nothing about his brakes, which witness found to be badly worn. He did not know something had gone wrong with them and he agreed that Bolton Street had a very rough surface and was hardly fit to be used.
Arthur Awcock, the bus conductor, of Mexborough, said he heard defendant blowing ‘his horn as the van ran down the hill backwards. The driver had his head turned, looking ‘at the bus driver.
P.c. -Walker said he was on the bus as a passenger, in plain clothes, and noticed the van backing down the hill. There was a crash and windows of the bus were broken. Witness asked defendant why he came down the hill backwards, and defendant replied “I could not help it, my brakes are no good.” Defendant was unable to move his van after the accident, and it had to be pushed out of the way, in his opinion the back axle of the van was broken as a result of the collision.
P.c. Howarth said that at 1-10 p.m. on the same day he saw the van. The brakes were then in order and a fresh hub had been fitted. Defendant showed him the old hub, on which the threads were worn, but nothing broken.
Defendant said he was going up Bolton Street, which was very rough and steep, and when he had gone up about six yard’s something happened and the van started to run backwards. The brakes did not operate and when he found he had lost control of the motor he looked round in order to steer clear of danger, but a bus had stopped at the bottom of the road. He had no intention of going down the hill backwards.
The Bench, Clerk and other officials examined the old bub of the motor, which was produced and defendant was ordered to pay the costs.