Smith v. Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Co.
Smith v. Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Co.
Opinion of the Court
This is an action to recover for personal injuries occasioned by the plaintiff being struck by an engine while attempting to cross the track of the defendant at Kennebec, South Dakota, on November 4, 1910. Judgment for plaintiff, defendant appeals.
The plaintiff at the time of the accident was 63 years of age. He had been living near Kennebec, South Dakota, and intended to move to Ardmore, in the same state. A car had been placed npon the side track in which his goods were being loaded. In substance, plaintiff testifies that at that time he was a little hard of hearing, though not as deaf as he was at the time of the trial; that he used an ear trumpet to hear at long distances, but did not use it in carrying on an ordinary conversation, and that he could hear the ringing of bells and the blowing of whistles a distance of a block away if the air was clear. As to the accident, he testified: “Well, I walked from the hotel, and turned upon the sidewalk, and I walked np that way to make the crossing over there, and when I was half way between the hotel and the railway I looked to the east and couldn’t see nothing there — couldn’t see any train; then I took a few steps more, so I could see by the depot to see if it was clear from the west side, and it was clear over there, and I didn’t look back again, but walked right on, and I just stepped over the rail and stepped on the track, and, Avliiff! — like that; that is all I remember. What happened after that I couldn’t tell. Up to that time I knew perfectly well what happened.” He further testified that he did not hear any bell rung or whistle blown, nor see any smoke. He was wearing spectacles. His legs were both broken and he Avas severely and permanently injured. On cross-examination, he testified that it was betAveen 4 and 5 o’clock p. M. when the accident happened; that it was broad daylight; that he was probably 10 or 15 yards from the track when he looked; that there was nothing to obstruct his view from the east, and that he could see a little over a city block and past the next crossing, and
A number of assignments of error are made, but the only one we think it necessary to consider is that the evidence fails to show that the defendant was guilty of negligence, and that it does show that the plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence which was the proximate cause of the injury received. It is clearly established that the whistle was sounded at the usual place, but there is a conflict in the testimony with respect to whether the bell was ringing as the train was passing through the yards. There is sufficient testimony to support the finding that it was not rung, and we must assume this fact as established. The engineer’s seat was on the north side and the fireman’s station was on the south side of the engine, from which latter direction the plaintiff was approaching. The fireman testifies that he was ringing the bell, but says he did not see plaintiff until he was only a few feet from the engine and just about to step upon the track. Other witnesses for the defendant testify that plaintiff was walking rapidly as he approached the railroad. One of them was so impressed by plaintiff’s apparent danger that he attempted by running toward him and calling to him to
The scaled plat produced in evidence by the plaintiff! shows the distances between objects and places in several instances to be different from the estimates made by witnesses, and in giving distances and direction the plat will be relied upon.
Upon the question whether, as a matter of law, plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence sufficient to bar a recovery, the evidence shows that the plaintiff was walking rapidly, and, while his speed is not stated more definitely, it is fair to assume that he Avas probably moAdng at the rate of Sy2 miles or 4 miles an hour. Taking the testimony that the train was going from 6 to 8 miles an hour, as one of plaintiff’s witnesses says', it was moving about twice as fast as was the plaintiff. The street is at less than a right angle with the track.. Even if a.t a right angle, when plaintiff Avas 50 feet away from the track the train must have been 100 feet from the point of the collision, and 111.8 feet in a straight line from where he was. His view was unobstructed. If the train was running 10 or 12 miles an hour, as other witnesses say, the distance Avould be greater, but the train would still have been in sight. It seems a physical impossibility that he could have looked when he said he did. He must have absent-mindedly kept his eyes or his thoughts elsewhere, or he must have seen the train in ample time to have guarded against the danger.
The case is easily distinguishable from Wallenburg v. Missouri P. R. Co., 86 Neb. 642, upon which plaintiff relies.
Under these circumstances the verdict of the jury is not supported by the evidence, and the motion of the defendant for a directed verdict should have been sustained. The judgment of the district court is reversed. Since it is apparent that no new and material facts can be produced, and the plaintiff’s own testimony does not justify a recovery, the case is dismissed.
Reversed and dismissed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.