Wilson v. Township of Coe

Michigan Supreme Court
Wilson v. Township of Coe, 206 N.W. 355 (Mich. 1925)
233 Mich. 75; 1925 Mich. LEXIS 720
Sharpe, McDonald, Clark, Bird, Moore, Steere, Wiest

Wilson v. Township of Coe

Opinion of the Court

Sharpe, J.

We will consider the assignments in the order discussed by counsel.

Was Defendant" Guilty of Negligence? Plaintiff’s proofs tended to show that the width of the *78 embankment at the place where the car was stopped was 15*4 feet, of which several feet was covered with quite tall grass; that on the west side, where the car stopped, it was but 6 feet from the center of the wrought portion of the road to the edge of the embankment; that the ditch at that point was nearly 5 feet deep; that a drain or ditch from land to the west led into that alongside the road at the place the car stopped, and had undermined the bank about a foot, and that this condition had existed for about a year, and was obscured by the growth of the grass over it. While defendant had proof that the roadbed was wider and that it had been traveled in safety, we are impressed that the situation was aptly described by the witness George Lesh, who carefully examined it .soon after the accident:

. “There would have been room for two cars to pass ' easily if they had known the condition of the road.”

We are satisfied that the proof carried the question to the jury as to whether the highway at that point was reasonably safe and fit for public travel.

Was Plaintiff Guilty of Contributory Negligence? Under our decisions, the negligence, if any, of the driver is imputable to plaintiff. Geeck v. Luckenbill, 215 Mich. 288, and cases cited. It is urged that there was no necessity for Ruthruff to drive his car so near the edge of the embankment, and that his doing so was negligence on his part. While, it is true that the cars might have passed without his driving so close to the ditch, we are unwilling to say as a matter of law that it was negligent for him to do so. There was nothing to indicate to him that the bank where he stopped had become undermined by the water flowing into the ditch from the west. Had it not' been so, he could doubtless have stopped where he did with safety. To render him negligent in this respect, the danger must have been so apparent that it could have *79 been foreseen by him by the exercise of ordinary care. Newman v. City of Ann Arbor, 134 Mich. 29.

These are the only errors discussed. We have, however, examined the other assignments, and find them to be without merit.

The judgment is affirmed.

McDonald, C. J., and Clark, Bird, Moore, Steere, Fellows, and Wiest, JJ., concurred.

Reference

Full Case Name
Wilson v. Township of Coe.
Cited By
2 cases
Status
Published