Mine v. Western Maryland Railway Co.
Mine v. Western Maryland Railway Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
This action in trespass is for the death of plaintiff’s husband, J. Frank Eline, resulting from a grade crossing accident. Mr. and Mrs. Eline resided at Baltimore, and
We have carefully examined the assignments of error and entire record but find no reversible error. The four surviving occupants of the automobile, as witnesses for plaintiff, positively asserted that neither whistle was blown nor bell rung to warn of the train’s approach, and also that the headlight was not burning. This was more than negative testimony and although contradicted made the question of defendant’s negligence one of fact for the jury: Winterbottom v. Philadelphia Ry. Co,, 217 Pa. 574; Buckman v. Philadelphia & R. Ry. Co., 232 Pa. 351.
Mr. Rogers, in driving the car so near the track as to collide with the passing train without having stopped to look and listen, was clearly negligent. The duty to so stop is unbending and darkness is no excuse for failure to perform it: Anspach v. Philadelphia, Etc., Ry. Co., 225 Pa. 528. But there was competent evidence which the jury credited that he was bailee of this car and had exclusive control of it, and was not the servant of Mr. or Mrs. Eline, and, if true, Roger’s negligence would not defeat plaintiff’s action. The fact that Eline and Rogers were engaged in a common purpose would not of itself cause the negligence of one to be imputed to the other. See Dunlap v. Philadelphia R. T. Co., 248 Pa. 130. Under the evidence, it was a question for the jury whether Mr. Rogers or the deceased had actual control of the automobile; while the latter suggested the route, it does not appear that he dictated the manner of driving the car. A man riding in a car is not liable for its management because owned by his wife, if at the time it is in the possession and control of another as bailee. Neither is the negligence of the bailee under such circumstances imputable to the owner of the car. See Gibson v. Bessemer & L. E. R. R. Co., 226 Pa. 198.
When a locomotive so violently collides with an automobile as to crush the skull of a man seated therein and throw him to the ground where a moment later he is found dead, it is not error for the trial judge to tell the jury that, “The death, I think from the testimony, you can clearly find was the result of the collision.”
The alleged declarations of a member of the automobile party, made three quarters of an hour after the accident, were properly rejected as too remote to constitute a part of the res gestee: Briggs v. Railroad & Coal Co., 206 Pa. 564.
The case was carefully tried and well considered by
The assignments of error are overruled and the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Mine v. Western Maryland Railway Company
- Cited By
- 15 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Negligence — Railroads—Grade crossing — Collision—Automobile —Death of passenger — Passenger husband of owner — Passenger’s duty to warn driver of danger — Evidence—Res gestw — Charge—• Contributory negligence — Case for jury. 1. Where a passenger in an automobile having opportunity fails to warn the driver of a known danger, and to protest against incurring it, he is guilty of negligence. 2. A person riding in an automobile is not liable for its management because it is owned by his wife, if at the time it is in the possession and control of another as bailee. 3. The negligence of the bailee of an automobile is not imputable to the owner thereof who is not present. 4. While the fixed duty to stop, look and listen before going upon ,a railroad track applies to the driver under all circumstances, yet the duty of calling upon him to do so devolves upon the passenger only where he has knowledge of the crossing, either acquired at the time or previously. 5. The testimony of four surviving occupants of an automobile which was struck by one of the defendant’s trains at a railroad grade crossing, that neither whistle nor bell was sounded, is more than negative testimony and although contradicted renders the question of defendant’s negligence one of fact for the jury. 6. The duty of a driver of an automobile to stop before crossing railroad tracks is unbending, and darkness is no excuse for failure to perform it. 7. In an action against a railroad company to recover for the death of plaintiff’s husband occasioned by being struck by one of defendant’s trains while a passenger in an automobile, where it appeared that deceased was in ill health and that the 'automobile, which was the property of the plaintiff, had been loaned to and was being driven by a friend of the family; that decedent was seated in the front seat next to the driver; that the driver did not stop before making the crossing; that deceased was the first one to notice the approaching train and immediately notified the driver but not in time to avoid the collision, and deceased was thrown out and killed; that the four surviving occupants of the automobile testified, although contradicted by defendant’s witnesses, that no warning was given of the approach of the train by bell or whistle and no headlight was burning, the questions whether the driver or decedent had actual control of the automobile and the negligence of the defendant and contributory negligence of decedent were for the jury and a verdict and judgment for the plaintiff will be sustained. 8. Where a collision between an automobile and locomotive was so violent as to throw a passenger in the former to the ground where he is found dead a moment later, the court did not err in charging that “the death, I think from the testimony, you can clearly find was the result of the collision.” 9. The alleged declarations of a member of an automobile party made three-quarters of an hour after an accident are too remote to constitute a part of the res gestae.