Andrews v. Moery

1951 OK 375, 240 P.2d 447, 205 Okla. 635, 1951 Okla. LEXIS 739
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 26, 1951
Docket34614
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 1951 OK 375 (Andrews v. Moery) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Andrews v. Moery, 1951 OK 375, 240 P.2d 447, 205 Okla. 635, 1951 Okla. LEXIS 739 (Okla. 1951).

Opinion

JOHNSON, J.

This is an action brought by Charles H. Moery against Frank Andrews, doing business as Enid Tile & Marble Company, and James Stevens Sidwell to recover damages to his automobile and personal injury damages because of an alleged collision between plaintiff’s automobile and a truck driven by defendant Sid-well, an employee of defendant Andrews who was then owner of the truck.

It is alleged that the collision occurred at the south end of Main Street in the city of Hennessey, Oklahoma, and that the collision occurred because of negligence of defendant Sidwell, driver of the truck.

The plaintiff pleaded negligence of the defendant in that Sidwell was driving the truck at a reckless rate of speed; that he was driving so close behind the automobile of plaintiff and at such a rate of speed as made it impossible for him to bring the truck to a stop within the assured clear distance ahead and at a speed in excess of the speed limit provided by ordinance of the city of Hennessey.

The trial was to a jury resulting in a verdict for plaintiff for $3,550. Judgment was entered on the verdict.

Defendants appeal and rely for reversal on the following assignments: (1) Error in the admission of evidence; (2) error in the instructions given and in refusing to give defendants’ requested instruction No. 1; (3) the court erred in overruling their demurrer to the evidence and in denying their motion for a directed verdict.

It is conceded that a collision occurred between the car driven by plaintiff and the truck driven by defendant Sidwell as pleaded in plaintiff’s petition and that as a result of the collision plaintiff’s car was damaged beyond repair and that plaintiff received a severe blow on his head and other bodily injuries; that as a result of his injuries plaintiff had been rendered unconscious for several days, and as a further result thereof he sustained a loss or lapse of memory from which he has not fully recovered and that at the time of the trial he did not recollect that a collision had ever occurred nor could he recollect what took place immediately before the collision or thereafter.

The collision occurred on April 29, 1949, at about 6 o’clock, p. m., at the south end of Main street in the city of Hennessey and near the city limits.

It is stipulated that defendant Andrews was the owner of the truck and that defendant Sidwell, the driver thereof, was his employee and engaged in the scope of his employment at the time the collision occurred. It was also stipulated that on the date of the collision there was in full force and effect in the city of Hennessey an ordinance numbered and reading as set forth and attached to plaintiff’s petition and that the ordinance may be admitted without further proof as to its authenticity. The ordinance fixed the speed limit for trucks traveling on Main street at not to exceed 25 miles per hour.

The evidence shows that plaintiff was traveling south in his automobile immediately prior to the collision. He drove in that direction a short distahce to a point where a street running east and west intersects Main street. The center of this street constitutes the south boundary line of the city limits of the city of Hennessey. Defendant Sidwell was also driving the truck in the same direction following plaintiff’s *637 car. He was about a block from plaintiff’s car when he reached the intersection. At that point plaintiff proceeded to make a U-turn. He gave no warning or signal of such intention and while in the act of making such turn, and while his car was heading east and about midway across the highway, his car was struck by the truck driven by defendant Sidwell. The impact forced plaintiff’s car back for a distance of about 50 feet. The force of the impact spun the truck around causing it to face the opposite direction and it came to rest 15 feet beyond the point of impact.

The impact occurred within the city limits of the city of Hennessey. The main issue of fact here involved is as to the rate of speed at which the truck was traveling at the time of the collision. Mr. Mitchell who lives near the scene of the accident testified that he had just returned home from work and as he stepped on the porch he heard tires squealing. He turned around and saw plaintiff’s car in the air. The truck was loaded with sacks of cement and as the result of the impact two or three sacks were thrown from the truck into the middle of the street. He observed the position of both cars after the wreck and fixed their positions as above stated. He observed skid marks presumably made by the truck and testified that in his opinion they were 100 feet or more in length. He did not measure the length of the marks.

Earl Wood, night policeman of Hen-nessey, and Mr. Phillips, a highway patrolman, appeared upon the scene after the collision and made an investigation as to the accident. Mr. Wood arrived within a few minutes after the accident occurred, and Mr. Phillips arrived sometime thereafter, but before the wrecked cars had been removed from the street. They both testified as to the width of the pavement at the point of the impact; that the pavement was smooth and dry. They noticed the condition and position of both cars after the accident occurred. They found dirt, glass and other debris on the street where the impact occurred. Plaintiff’s car was located about 50 feet beyond the point of impact. They saw skid marks which in their opinion were made by the truck leading from a point where the brakes were apparently applied up to the point of impact. They measured the skid marks and found them to be 120 feet in length. Each of these witnesses testified that from experience gained by him as an officer he was able to give a fairly accurate opinion as to the rate of speed the truck was traveling at the time of the collision based on the length of the skid marks and other physical facts found by him to exist. Each stated that in his opinion the truck at that time was traveling at a speed of about 45 to 50 miles per hour.

The above evidence was admitted over and against objection of defendants urged on the ground that it called for a conclusion of the witnesses and invaded the province of the jury. The qualification of the witnesses to testify is not challenged by the objection.

Defendants rely mainly for reversal upon admission of this evidence. As to whether an expert may express an opinion as to the rate of speed at which an automobile was traveling at the time of collision based on the length of skid marks, the authorities are not uniform. The weight of authority, however, is to the effect that he may do so.

In Linde et al. v. Emmick, 61 P. 2d 338, the Court of Appeals of California, speaking on this question, said:

“Two experts were permitted, over appellant’s objections, to express their opinions that if a Cadillac of the type and weight of appellant’s car, equipped with nonskid tires and occupied by two persons of average weight, skidded on dry, level concrete pavement for 150 feet after application of its brakes, its speed at such application was 65 or 70 miles per hour. . . . Whether it is proper for an expert to express an opinion of speed, based upon the length of skid marks, seems not to have been *638 decided in this state, although the propriety of such opinion was intimated in Coughman v. Harman, supra. In Berkovitz v. American River Gravel Co., 191 Cal.

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Bluebook (online)
1951 OK 375, 240 P.2d 447, 205 Okla. 635, 1951 Okla. LEXIS 739, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/andrews-v-moery-okla-1951.