Hurstbridge Advertiser, 18th March 1932.
SHEEP KILLED BY MOTOR TRUCK. CLAIM FOR DAMAGES SUCCEEDS. Claiming £11/4/4 for certain sheep alleged to have been killed by a motor truck on the Diamond Creek road near Greensborough Park on September 9 last, Ryan Bros, butchers, of Diamond Creek, brought an action against Henry Hardy, of Bentleigh, contractor, at Heidelberg court, on March 3. William Clifton, drover, said that on September 9, at about 5 p.m. a motor truck loaded with wood, came along at a fast rate of speed and ran into the middle of the flock, going about 100 yards after striking the first sheep. John Lawrence Ryan, butcher, Diamond Creek, said that 17 sheep were destroyed, and were rendered unfit for food. £11/4/4 had been paid for them. Hardy said that he was accompanied by his wife, a baby, and a younger brother, was driving on his correct side of the road and travelling at about 10 m.p.h. and he did not see the sheep until ten feet from them as the road narrowed and he was coming round a curve. He applied his brakes and the jerk caused the baby’s head to strike the windscreen, breaking it. The car only traveled about 8 feet after striking the first sheep. The sheep were packed in the middle of the road. There were half a dozen sheep under the truck when it stopped. He did not hear anyone call out “Sheep ahead.” Similar evidence was given by Thomas Albert Hardy, Isabella Hardy and Clement Russel Thors. The P.M. (Mr. T. B. Wade) said that the evidence was most conflicting, and in his opinion perjury had been committed on one side or the other. Examining the possibilities of the case he formed an opinion that negligence had been proved on the part of the truck driver, and he made an order for the full amount claimed with £6/3/6 costs.
More importantly, was the baby OK?