McKay v. Pennington County
McKay v. Pennington County
Opinion of the Court
This case is before us on rehearing, the original opinion being found in 52 S. D. 36, 216 N. W. 577. Reexamination of the record and briefs satisfies us that the effect of some of the evidence, on the part of plaintiff, was overlooked in the original opinion. Douis W. Young, one of the county commissioners, testifying on behalf of defendant, said that the east crib of the’bridge had settled about six inches from March ióth to March 25th, and, although he testifies that the bridge was solid down on the crib on March 25th, he says he knew that the crib had been sinking at least since the 16th day of March. While he and others testified' that they were sure that the stringers of the bridge were solid 'down on the crib, yet several witnesses, who had crossed the bridge within a week or so of the time when the accident to plaintiff occurred, testified that when crossing they felt the 'bridge teeter. While there is testimony of several witnesses for defendant to the effect that plaintiff showed them where the wheels of his truck began to slip on the approach, and they could trace the wheel track from there back to where the truck went over the bridge from five to ten feet from where it began slipping, and while it is true that plaintiff on rebuttal did not directly deny that he had made this statement to those witnesses, yet his testimony was inferentially a denial of such statements, because he said that, if there were any questions at all asked by those witnesses, they asked him how he got out, and he told them. We think the jury was entitled to infer from this that he meant that nothing else was said by him to those witnesses, except what he detailed on rebuttal. Furthermore, he himself testified that, just as his hind-wheels were about to leave the bridge at its junction with the approach, the bridge tilted, the front wheels of his truck raised up, and all at once the truck went into the creek. We are of opinion that there was such a conflict in the evidence, at this point, as justified the submission of the case to the jury.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- McKAY v. PENNINGTON COUNTY
- Status
- Published