Williams v. Nelson
Williams v. Nelson
Opinion of the Court
At the trial >of this action for personal injuries sustained in an automobile accident, the jury returned a verdict for defendant. Plaintiff filed a motion for a new trial in which several errors on the part of the court were stated. The motion was allowed. Defendant appeals from the order allowing a new trial.
U. S. Highway 30 traverses the length of the city of Scappoose in what we will call a north-south direction. Through the city the highway is divided by a
The accident happened in the hour of darkness near the junction of the 'highway and another street, Williams Street, which entered the highway from the east at .right angles. Prior to the accident, plaintiff had been driving a car northerly along the portion of the highway where there was no white line marking lanes for traffic that we have just described. Defendant was driving a pickup truck following ¡behind plaintiff’s car. He was accompanied by his brother. Both of them had 'been drinking beer prior to the accident. The issue of intoxication was material.
Plaintiff testified that she had intended to turn right from the highway onto Williams Street. 'She testified that she noticed the car 'behind her, that she turned her turn indicator to show a right turn and when she attempted to turn, defendant’s truck col
Defendant’s brother testified that after the accident he had gone to a cafe across the street and had telephoned his wife from the cafe. In rebuttal, plaintiff offered the evidence of one of the proprietors of a cafe that was 'across the street but some distance away that a man, whom she did not know, entered her cafe on the night in question and used her telephone to call 'someone about an accident. She said this was the only person who had asked to use the telephone on that particular night. She described the man as intoxicated. The testimony was stricken. When the court ruled on the motion for new trial, he assigned this as one reason for doing so. The evidence was admissible and material. It was prejudicial to have taken it from the jury. The only arguments made against, or that could be made, are jury arguments as to its believability and to the; identity of the person. It was not error to allow this part of the motion.
Two other grounds relied on by the trial court for allowing a new trial require mention to avoid any question on retrial. The first one was a finding of the trial judge that he had erred when he refused to withdraw this allegation of contributory negligence,
It would be for the jury to decide if the width of the highway at the place in question were -wide enough for two cars to travel abreast while going in the same direction. In other words, two lanes of travel. If so, then this statute would have required plaintiff to have been to the right side when approaching and making a right turn. The trial court correctly stated the rule that would apply to this situation but omitted reference to this statute which we deem pertinent to the case.
The allegation above set forth, which plaintiff asked be withdrawn was not well stated. However, no prior motion had been made to strike the allegation and there was evidence to go to the jury on whether or not plaintiff had turned from an 'improper position on the highway. The matter can be corrected by amendment.
What has been said also applies to the second ground for the motion in respect to an instruction given by the court. This also can be corrected on retrial.
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- WILLIAMS v. NELSON
- Status
- Published