Keller v. Southern Railway Co.
Keller v. Southern Railway Co.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting: The plaintiff Keller testified on cross-examination as follows:
“I told Mr. Pritchard my attorney, before he drafted the complaint, that the sun was shining against these lights that morning and it was hard to tell the green from the red. That is true, I told him that.
“Q. So then on that morning, Mr. Keller, both lights were showing there, the sun shining? Answer: Yes the sun was shining that morning.
“Q. (By the court.) He asked you whether both lights were shoAving, because the sun was shining against them? Answer: Both lights were shoAving more, but the green light was showing most. The red light did not show plain but the green light did.
“The red light did not show plain, but it showed a little bit, not plain like you could see the green one. To a certain extent you could see both lights. When the red is showing it sometimes is dim, but before I went on the track I could see the red light some little bit but the green light showed the brightest.
“The sun shined against both and showed against them both and that was because they were poorly hooded, and that is true, and when I told him the sun was shining against those two lights, making it hard to tell Avhich Avas on the green or red. I told him the truth, and I told him that Avas the condition the day I Avent on there, on the morning I drove up there the light did show green then. Afterward I have been going back and foi-Avard across there to see Avhat caused this accident, and I seen .the reflection of the sun, it caused both lights to shoAv bright and you*280 could not tell much, about them at all; but when I drove up' there the morning of the accident, the green light did show brightest, the green light showed to be the brightest and I drove on and had the accident.”
Consequently, from the plaintiff’s own narrative, there was a confusion of signals. One said “go ahead, the way is clear.” Another said: “Stop! a train is upon you.”
Under such circumstances, what ought a man of reasonable prudence to do ? The plaintiff chose to gamble with the situation and thus moved ahead at his peril and therefore ought to abide the result of his own calm deliberate act.
Opinion of the Court
These are actions for actionable negligence alleging damages. The plaintiff, Phillip Keller, instituted this action in the Superior Court of Madison County, against ’the Southern Eailway Company, on 19 July, 1932, and filed his complaint, alleging two causes of action. In his first cause of action he alleges that he was operating an automobile truck and drove upon the track of the defendant, Southern Eailway Company, in the town of Hot Springs, and was struck and injured, and demands judgment in the sum of $2,650. In his second cause of action he alleges that his truck was demolished by reason of the impact set forth in his first cause of action, and that he sustained damages in the sum of $350.00 to his truck.
In botb actions, all tbe issues were found in favor of tbe plaintiffs, and judgments rendered on tbe verdicts in favor of tbe plaintiffs.
At tbe close of plaintiffs’ evidence and at tbe close of all tbe evidence, tbe defendant made motions for judgment as in case of nonsuit. C. S., 567. Tbe court below overruled these motions and in this we can see no error. It is a well settled rule that upon a motion as of nonsuit tbe evidence, whether offered by tbe plaintiff or elicited from defendant’s witnesses, is to be considered in tbe light most favorable to tbe plaintiff, and be is entitled to every reasonable intendment thereon and every reasonable inference to be drawn therefrom. We set forth tbe complaint in full, without going into a lengthy detail of tbe evidence, as we think tbe evidence on tbe material allegations in tbe complaint sufficient to have been submitted to tbe jury. There is a discrepancy between tbe complaint and evidence as to tbe course of tbe highway and railroad. In the' opinion we will treat tbe highway as running east and west and railroad north and south. Pbillip Keller, tbe plaintiff, lived about 3 miles from Hot Springs, N. C., and on tbe morning of 3 May, 1932, between 7 and 8 o’clock, was on bis way to Greenville, Tenn., driving a 1930 “A” model Ford truck. It bad been a coupe and bad been changed into a light delivery truck, which be ordinarily used for hauling wood. He was at tbe wheel, and next to him was bis father, A. J. Keller, and sitting next to bis father was Terrell Ricker. He was driving west through Hot Springs on a bard-surfaced State highway, “tbe main artery east and west.” Tbe village bad a population (1930 census) of 725.
Tbe defendant’s railroad track, which runs north and south, crosses this highway. Each day 100 to 500 cars and 400 to 500 pedestrians cross tbe defendant’s track on this highway. On each side of tbe track defendant has a signal post with a red warning light, with tbe word “Stop” and a green light with tbe word “Go.” Defendant ran about 25 trains over this track a day. Approaching tbe defendant’s track, going west, tbe highway goes up a slight incline until it reaches tbe defendant’s track, and it is level and then a decline downward. Tbe view of a traveler on tbe highway going west is obstructed by defendant’s depot, trees and shrubbery, in seeing a train going north on defendant’s track, until very near tbe track.
The evidence on the part of plaintiff was to the effect that plaintiff, Phillip Keller, and his witnesses, heard no' whistle blow or bell ring.
In Harris v. R. R., 199 N. C., 798 (799), is the following: “The law in this State does not impose upon the driver of a motor vehicle, on his approach to a public crossing, the duty, under all circumstances, to stop his vehicle before driving on the crossing. Whether under all the circumstances, as the evidence tends to show, and as the jury may find from the evidence, the failure of the driver to stop, as well as to look and listen for an approaching train at a railroad crossing, was negligence on his part, is ordinarily a question involving matters of fact as well as of law, and must be determined by the jury under proper instructions from the court.” N. C. Code of 1931 (Michie), section 2621(48); Moseley v. R. R., 197 N. C., 628; Butner v. R. R., 199 N. C., 695; Madrin v. R. R., 200 N. C., 784, S. c., 203 N. C., 245; Campbell v. R. R., 201 N. C., 102; Sanders v. R. R., 201 N. C., 672; Baker v. R. R., 202 N. C., 478; Dancy v. R. R., 204 N. C., 303.
Plaintiff testified: “I was going west, going to Tennessee, as I drove towards the track; the light was green, it said to ‘Go’ and I drove upon the track slowly, was making 6 or 8 miles an hour,” etc.. The light being green and saying “Go,” plaintiff had a right to presume that it was an assurance of safety and that the crossing was clear, and to act with reasonable caution, such as an ordinarily prudent man would use under like circumstances, and drive on the crossing. Barber v. R. R., 193 N. C., 691; Finch v. R. R., 195 N. C., 190 (199); Moseley v. R. R., supra, at p. 635.
The defendant contends that in reference to A. J. Keller, who was a passenger in the automobile, it was entitled to an issue of contributory negligence. We cannot so hold. A. J. Keller was in the automobile and the father of the driver, Phillip Keller, who testified: “My father did not own any interest in that car; he had no control over my driving that car, and did not attempt to exercise any control over my driving that ear. I certainly knew how to operate the automobile properly.”
In Campbell v. R. R., 201 N. C., 102 (107), it is said: “Plaintiff was a guest or gratuitous passenger. It is well settled that ‘negligence on the part of the driver will not, ordinarily, be imputed to a guest or occupant of an automobile unless such guest or occupant is the owner of the car or has some kind of control of the driver. Bagwell v. R. R., 167 N. C., 611; White v. Realty Co., 182 N. C., 536; Williams v. R. R., 187 N. C., 348; Albritton v. Hill, 190 N. C., 429. Of course, if the
In Nash v. R. R., 202 N. C., 30 (33), we find: “Louise Nash was a gratuitous passenger or guest in the automobile driven by Sarah Adams. She was not the owner of the car and had no control of it; neither is there evidence that the deceased was engaged in a joint enterprise with the driver or other occupant of the car. Consequently, any negligence on the part of the driver would not be imputed to the deceased.”
In regard to defendant’s having a different light at another crossing, Ave do not think this prejudicial. The defendant brought out the same fact on cross-examination of one of plaintiff’s witnesses. See Blum v. R. R., 187 N. C., 648. We think the court beloAv properly refused defendant’s prayers for special instructions. The charge was full, clear and gave the laAV applicable to the facts. In the judgment below Ave find
No error.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- PHILLIP KELLER v. SOUTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY and W. T. DAVIS, Administrator of the Estate of A. J. KELLER v. SOUTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY
- Cited By
- 5 cases
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- Published