The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1974-04-25, Page 25Mechanical fault .led to fatality
dismiss charge against driver
A young Zurich driver, Harry walked along Highway 83, just
W. Webster, was found not guilty west of the Highway 4 in-
on a charge of dangerous driving tersection in Exeter . or October 5.
when he appeared, before Judge She had been walking on the
Glenn Hays in Exeter court, south side of the highway towards
Tuesday.. the home of her grandparents
Webster was charged following when Webster's car, which had
an accident which claimed the been westbound, pulled out to
life of a 20-year-old mother, Mrs. pass a westbound truck and
Terry Haugh, 135 Empress Ave„ struck the young woman.
Huron Park. She sustained extensive back
Mrs. Haugh, the former Debbie and head injuries and died about
Coughlin, was struck by a car three hours after the MOO p.m.
driven by Webster while she crash.
Cochrane stated the condition of
the car was such that Webster
couldn't keep it under control and
said this could be classed as
dangerous driving,
Judge Hays noted the car was
in a dangerous condition to be on
the road, but was not convinced
this was directly attributable to
what happened. He said there
was a degree of negligence on the
part of the accused to be driving a
car in this condition and a
possibility the accused was
driving too fast for the condition
of his vehicle.
However, he concluded it did
not constitute dangerous driving.
Six other cases were heard by
Judge Glenn Hays and Justice of
the Peace Douglas Wedlake.
Fines imposed were as follows:
Kenneth J. Steckle, Grand
Bend, $38 for following another
vehicle too closely. He was in-
volved in an accident in Exeter
on March 30 when he ran into the
rear of another vehicle.
Patrick W, DeJong, Brucefield,
$35 for having liquor while under
the legal age.
John D. Minzen, Putnam, $13
for a speed of 70 in a 60 zone.
John D. Mitchell, Belgrave, $63
for a speed of 90 in a 60 zone.
Malcolm R. McLeod, Clifford,
$23 for failing to obey a traffic
light in Exeter.
J. Edward Rooseboom, Zurich,
$23 for failing to stop at a stop
sign in Exeter on March 4.
William Brennan, Crediton, $23
for failing to stop at a stop sign in
Huron Park on March 23.
PROVIDING SOUTHERN MUSIC — Mandolin music provided the background for a Huron Centennial
school variety show trip to the southern islands Thursday night. Strumming the instruments are Steve Dallas,
Ruth Gingerich, Sandy Broadfoot, Adrian Rehorst and Richard McKinley. T-A photo
EXETER, ONTARIO, MAY 2, 1974 Price Per Copy 25 Cents
Loot cottages,
steal vehicles County police proposa
up for public debate Exeter OPP are investigating a
series of thefts in the area this
week.
A number of cottages along the
Lake Huron shoreline have been
entered. A color TV was taken
from one, while at another about
$800 worth of rugs, bedding and
blankets was removed.
On Wednesday, a 1971 Dodge
stationwagon was taken from the
St. Joseph's BP station, along
with $86 in cash and a small
quantity of cigarettes.
A car which had been stolen
earlier from the Bayfield area
was found at the scene.
A pickup truck owned by Emil
Liehmann, RR 1, Exeter, was
taken early Saturday morning
from the A&K Service Centre on
Highway 4. It was recovered the
next day in the Lucan area.
Two flags were reported
missing from the Ministry of
Transportation and Com-
munication works shed at the
north end of Exeter.
Local ministry workmen also
advised police that 17 guide posts
recentry efeeted at the in-
tersection of Highway 83 and
concession 2-3 of Usborne had
been flattened to the ground by
vandals.
The posts had been erected to
keep motorists from driving on
the soft shoulder.
Ronald Harvey, Huron Park,
reported a six-inch gash had been
slashed in the convertible top of
his vehicle while it was parked at
Dashwood.
A bowling score stand was
removed from the recreation
centre at Huron Industrial Park
on Friday, while at 1:15 a.m. the
same day, a false fire alarm had
been set off by activating the
alarm box at the corner of
Algonquin Drive and Kensington
Crescent at Huron Park.
During the period from Friday
to Monday, the Exeter OPP
detachment officers made a total
of 10 liquor seizures.
Four week spell
broken by crash
The first accident in four weeks
was reported Sunday to Ontario
Provincial Police detachment at
the Pinery Park.
A vehicle being driven by
Martin Kricknan, 863 Huron
Street, London failed to negotiate
a curve in Pinery Provincial
Park and struck a tree.
There were no injuries and
Constable R. D. Hendley
estimated total damages at $400.
Constable R. J. Sawyers is
currently investigating the theft
of a radio Thursday from the
Colonial Hotel at Grand Bend. It,
was valued at $350.
Of 28 occurrences investigated
this week by detachment officers,
seven liquor charges and five
under the Highway Traffic Act
were laid.
A proposal to form a Huron
County police force will be
discussed at an open meeting to
be held at the Clinton town hall
Thursday May 9 at 8 p.m.
Exeter police chief Ted Day
who is chairman of the Huron
police chiefs committee said the
meeting will discuss proposals of
forming the county department
costs, the number of men needed
and the advantages and disad-
vantages.
Elected representatives of all
municipalities in Huron are in-
vited along with anyone in-
terested in county policing.
In attendance will be Ontario's
Police Commissioner Elmer Bell,
QC; His Honour Judge Graham,
Ron Durand and Walter Johnson
The evidence revealed that the
1965 model vehicle driven by the
accused was in poor condition,
and the main argument of the
defence was that the accident
was caused by a faulty vehicle
and not a dangerous act of the
driver.
Webster said he was driving
about 40 mph when the car
started to pick up speed for no
apparent reason, He fried to
brake the car, but had no
control, so he decided quickly to
turn out to avoid hitting the
vehicle ahead of him.
The accused said he saw no one
on the road, but heard a thud as
he passed the truck. When he
stopped, he ran back and saw the
girl.
Webster told the court his car
could have accelerated to 60
miles an hour and reported
having a similar experience with
the vehicle prior to the fatality.
He related other instances of
mechanical problems but 'said
each time the car had been
repaired.
The youth's father also testified
that at times the operator of the
vehicle couldn't control the
speed.
Three mechanics were called
to testify.
Robert Oke said he examined
the vehicle after the crash and
found the headlight out of
alignment, a loose clamp on a
throttle control cable, worn out
bushings which made the
steering "sloppy", one tire fair
and the other three poor.
He said the vehicle would not
pass a safety check, although
there was nothing which could
explain the car speeding up for no
apparent reason.
Oke testified the brakes were
not in good shape and said the
floor mat in the 1965 vehicle was
worn and could have resulted in
the accelerator becoming stuck
in it.
The car also had a tendency to
pull to the left.
Alvin Campbell, Hensall, said a
cable had been put on the vehicle
two weeks prior to the crash. The
cable was half an inch shorter
than it should have been, he said,
but stated this would have made
the car go slower, not faster. Mr.
Oke had also suggested this fact.
Keith Wannacott, Huron Park,
said the vehicle had been brought
to his garage on one occasion and
he found the carburetor to be
stuck.
First witnesses called were Mr.
IT-DIDN'T,GET AWAY — While very,,few, lange.traut,wereAref'r-ted and Mrs. "George Ducharthe;
caught on opening day Saturday, Rick Snell of Centralia has the proof.
Rick landed this 26 inch 11 and a half pound rainbow trout, near
Bayfield. T-A photo
Fire number
shows decline
Second cyclist injured
in Huron Park crash
TUMBLING GALS — Gymnastic displays featured Wednesday's
variety show presented by students of Exeter public school. Shown
above in a tumbling demonstration are Charlaine Beck and Starr
Jesney. T-A photo
Statistics released this week by
the Ontario Fire Marshal's office
show a slight decrease in the
number of -fires for this area.
Communities listed in the
report and included in the area
comparison totals are: Ailsa
Craig, Exeter, Grand Bend,
Hensall, Lucan, Parkhill,
Stephen Township and Zurich.
In that area, a total of 38 fires
were reported in 1973. The five-
year average is 44.
Ailsa Craig was the only
community not reporting any
fires in the past year, while
Exeter firemen were listed as
fighting 12.
Despite the fact they had only
two fires, Parkhill had one of the
largest loss figures. It was
reported at $56,673. Stephen had
eight fires with a total loss of
$63,467.
Hensall followed with a loss of
$44,237, while the loss for the
Exeter area was $39,081.
Grand Bend reported three
fires with loss of $404, while there
was a loss of $1,480 in four Zurich
area fires and $7,000 in one in
Lucan.
Huron County reported no fire
deaths this year. Lambton had
three, Perth one and Middlesex
six.
There were a total of 23,377
fires in the province, with
careless smoking being the
leading cause, followed by
electricity and lightning.
Area townships
face land freeze
of the Ontario Police Com-
mission.
The proposal put forth by the
police chiefs committee calls for
a force composed of a chief, and
four inspectors who would be
responsible for policing five
divisions set up through the
county.
Huron County is now patrolled
by local forces in Exeter,
Goderich, Wingham, Clinton and
Seaforth and by the Ontario
Provincial Police in the rural
areas.
The Ontario Task Force on
Policing recommended in
February that police forces in
towns with populations of less
than 15,000 should be
amalgamated with the OPP or be
restructured as part of a county
or regional police force.
Chief Day said his committee
has been drafting its proposal
since the task force report came
out and wants to establish the
county force "before it's too late
and legislation comes out telling
its what to do."
It advocates a county force
instead of amalgamation because
as Day said, "we could do it more
reasonably financially and
patrolmen would continue to live
and work in the same towns.
Under OPP jurisdiction he
said, patrolmen would be more
liable for transfer. Under the
proposed county force about 30
men would be added to take care
of township policing compared
with the present force of 32 who
operate only in the five
municipalities.
Under the proposal the five
— Please turn to Page 5
preparing secondary plans this
summer. David McConnell, a
student at the University of
Western Ontario has been hired
by Stephen to prepare the plan in
conjunction with Huron County
and its planning department
headed by Gary Davidson.
Wein also said he learned from
Ministry officials in London that
the freeze applied to commercial
and not industrial and would not
affect any industrial expansion at
Huron Industrial Park.
At Hay township clerk Wayne
Horner said "our township is
pretty well rural-orientated and
this shouldn't affect us too
much."
Reeve Bruce Scott of
Bosanquet said, "I don't think it
will hurt us any. Malls are too big
for our area and anyway our
zoning bylaws will protect us."
Lambton MPP Lorne Hen-
derson expressed disappointment
at the controls and the affect they
would have on commercial
development in Bosanquet and
other Lambton townships.
Henderson added, "I don't like
to see controls come from
Toronto. I had hoped we would
catch up to this thing without
taking drastic action."
The freeze put on commercial
development in rural areas by
Ontario Housing Minister Sidney
Handelman may not be as severe
for area townships as first
thought.
The freeze was slapped on
municipalities without approved
plans and was specifically aimed
at halting shopping mall
developments in rural areas.
The townships of Stephen, Hay,
Usborne and Bosanquet were
among 62 municipalities on which
the controls were imposed.
Huron MPP Jack Riddell said
Tuesday afternoon he had
learned from Ministry of Housing
officials that amendments to the
order would facilitate small
commercial development.
Riddell added "where a
township has an existing zoning
bylaw commercial development
will be allowed providing the
local bylaw is in compliance with
the Ministry's order."
Wilmar Wein, clerk of Stephen
township said he expected the
freeze would be in affect for his
township until it completed a
secondary plan which would
include zoning regulations.
Stephen and Usborne town-
ships are in the process of
For the second week in a row,
the Exeter OPP report an ac-
cident involving a youthful
bicyclist in Huron Park.
On Sunday at 12:30 p.m., a
bicycle ridden by Kevin Tripp, 9,
Centralia, was in collision with a
motorcycle driven by David
Lewis, 204 Algonquin Drive,
Huron Park.
Police report the young bike
rider apparently lost control of
his bike and swerved in front of
the motorcycle.
Both machines crashed to the
ground and both drivers
sustained cuts and bruises.
A passenger on the motorcycle,
Peter Joseph Fejkl, RR 2, Cen-
tralia, escaped injury.
The mishap occurred near the •
J. A. D. McCurdy school and was
investigated by Constable Bill
Osterloo. Damage was set at $40.
While attaching no blame to the
driver of the motorcycle, police
did point out that with the war-
mer weather, more and more
children are outside playing and
urged motorists to be extremely
cautious.
They also suggested that
parents in Huron Park should
make certain their youngsters
are playing in safe areas.
"Children using the roadway as a
play area is a very dangerous
practice," commented a police
spokesman.
The accident was one of three
investigated by the Exeter OPP
New trustees
for Playhouse
who were in the truck being
passed by Webster. Ducharme
said he was travelling at between
35 and 40 m.p.h. and that he did
not see the girl on the other side
of the road as he was intent on his
driving.
Mrs. Ducharme said she saw
Mrs. Haugh and watched as
she was tossed up in the air by the
impact.
Jim Hoffman, Dashwood, was
in the vicinity in another vehicle
and rendered first aid, although
he did not have his proper
equipment as he was driving his
own car and not an ambulance.
He told the court that the ac-
cused was hysterical at the
scene.
Exeter PD Constable Jim
McMeekin told the court there
was no sidewalk along the high-
way, although the area was well
lighted.
The defence lawyer submitted
that the accused didn't do
anything that a prudent driver
wouldn't do when his vehicle was
almost out of control because of a
malfunction.
He noted a quick decision had
to be made and there was no
wilful negligence on the part of
the driver in swinging out to pass
the truck.
The defence concluded that the
condition of the car was the cause
of the accident.
Crown Attorney W. G.
detachment during the past
week.
On Tuesday at 1:00 a.m., cars
operated by Kenneth B. Camp-
bell, RR 2, Ailsa Craig, and
Gloria Diane Wells, 162
Algonquin Drive, Huron Park,
were involved in a collision on
Concession 3 of Stephen, about
half a mile south of County Road
21.
The Wells vehicle was
stationary on the road.
Total damage was listed at
$2,000 by Constable Bill
McIntyre.
Damage of $15 was reported to
a fence owned by the Ontario
Development Corporation.
Campbell sustained bruises in
the crash.
At 4:30 a.m., a car operated by
Harold F. Ingram, 184 Columbia
Drive, Huron Park, backed out of
a laneway and hit a parked car
owned by Murray D. Murrell, 140
St. Lawrence Ave., Huron Park.
Damage was listed at only $20
by Constable Don Mason.
Tuckersmith man
heads road group
Allan Nicholson of Tucker-
smith township was named
president of the Huron County
Road Superintendents
Association at a Wednesday
dinner meeting held at the
Belgrave Inn:
The retiring president is Karl
Haberer of Hay township. The
vice-president is C. W. Hanna,
East Wawanosh, the recording
secretary and treasurer is
Stanley township's Bill Taylor
and Huron's representative on
the Ontario Association is Harry
Culvert of West Wawanosh.
Speaking at the meeting were
Huron Warden Bill Elston and
Reeve Roy Pattison. Joe Kerr
Was host for the dinner, Officials
Of the Koffer Culvert Conipany of
Waterloo also entertained.
Huron Country Playhouse has
acquired four new members to its
board of trustees. Mr. Benson
Tuckey, Chairman announced
recently the addition of Don
Southcott and Mrs. Albert Vosler,
of Grand Bend; Ed Procunier,
London, and Mrs. Jack Boyd,
Forest.
Continuing members of the
Playhouse board are Bill
Cochrane, Miss Betty Etue and
Bruce Sully, of Goderich; S. P.
Englert of Kitchener; Howard
Flemming, Mrs. Peter Ivey, Bill
Heinsohn, of London; James
Love, Mrs. Bill Waters of
Parkhill; E. Beecher Menzies of
Clinton; Mrs. Bill Schlegel, Mrs.
Griffin Thomas of Grand Bend,
and from Exeter, Mrs. Mel
Geiser and Mr. Tuckey.
Donald Southcott has been
appointed to head the 1974 season
ticket drive which will open on
May 18.
Bill Heinsohn has been re-
appointed to head up the second
annual Huron Country Fair
which will be held on the
Playhouse grounds on June 2,
Mr. Tuckey also announced
that the Playhouse has accepted
an invitation from the newly
formed Kincardine Theatre Guild
to bring its 1974 season there.
This new arrangement will mean
that the Company will perform at
the Playhouse in Grand Bend on
Wednesday through Saturday
nights, and will move its Sunday
night performance to the Kin-
cardine Town Hall.
Board approval was given for
the 1974 operation. The summer
season is due to get underway on
June 26, and details will be an-
nounced shortly by James
Murphy, Playhouse managing
director, but the opening play of
the season is definitely "I Do, I
Doi" the Broadway musical,
which starred Mary Martin and
Robert Preston,
CUBS GATHER BOTTLES — Members of the Crediton Cub pack conducted a bottle drive Saturday. These
proceeds along with monies gained raking lawns a week earlier will be used for camping purposes. Shown
above with leader John Bierling are Scott Eveland, Barry Becker, Steve Dinney, Paul Wein and Kevin Scott.
A photo
THE MAKEUP DEPARTMENT — Plenty of work was necessary in the makeup department before Thursday's
variety show of Huron Centennial school was ready to go. Above, Mrs, Shirley Carter blackens the face of
Joyce Broadfoot while Freda Hill and Mary Peckitt took on. T.A photo
One Hundred and First Year
4