Davis v. Coeur d'Alene & Spokane Railway Co.
Davis v. Coeur d'Alene & Spokane Railway Co.
Opinion of the Court
This action was brought to recover damages for injuries.to person and property resulting from a collision between the electric cars operated by the defendant company and the plaintiff’s express wagon, at the intersection of Browne street and Maine avenue, in the city of Spokane. The plaintiff had judgment for the sum of $270.83, and the defendant appeals.-,
The only testimony offered in support of the first ground of negligence was that of a small boy of thirteen years of age, who testified that the cars were running about “Eight, or ten •or twelve miles an hour, somewhere along there.” Inasmuch as the respondent saw the approaching cars and knew of ■their presence, it is not easy to see how his jeopardy was increased by the failure to sound the whistle or ring the bell; but, if we concede that there was sufficient evidence of negligence on the part of the appellant to carry the case to the jury, yet, we think, the evidence discloses a clear case of contributory negligence on the part of the respondent, under the ruling of this court. Pie saw the approaching cars a block •or less away; he did not stop until the cars passed; he did not increase his own speed to avoid a collision, nor did he pay the slightest attention to the movement of the cars. In Criss v. Seattle Electric Co., 38 Wash. 320, 80 Pac. 525, the plaintiff saw a street car approaching at about the same distance and proceeded to drive his team across the track in about the same manner. In Coats v. Seattle Electric Co., 39 Wash. 386,
The judgment is therefore reversed, with directions to dismiss the action.
Hadley, C. J., Crow, Dtjnbar, Root, and Mount, JJ.,. concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Phillip Davis v. Coeur d'Alene & Spokane Railway Company
- Cited By
- 9 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Street Railroads—Injury to Persons Driving Across Track— Contributory Negligence. The driver of an express wagon, who sees an approaching electric car about a block away and proceeds to drive across the street car track without giving any further heed to the car, is guilty of contributory negligence precluding any recovery for injuries from a collision between the car and his wagon.