Burns v. Salyers

270 Ill. App. 46, 1933 Ill. App. LEXIS 491
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJanuary 16, 1933
DocketGen. No. 8,701
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 270 Ill. App. 46 (Burns v. Salyers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Burns v. Salyers, 270 Ill. App. 46, 1933 Ill. App. LEXIS 491 (Ill. Ct. App. 1933).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Shurtleff

delivered the opinion of the court.

This suit was instituted by Owen J. Burns, appellee, against Bertha Salyers, appellant, as a result of a collision between an automobile driven by a son of appellee and one driven by appellant. The collision occurred on what is known as State road number ten of this State, about three miles north and east of the City of Montieello, Piatt county, at 1:30 o’clock p. m., October 31, 1931. The son of appellee was driving appellee’s Buiclc four-door sedan automobile and was coming in a southerly direction, while appellant was driving her husband’s automobile and going in a northerly direction. On a trial by jury a verdict was obtained against appellant for $508.33.

In the front seat, riding with his son, was appellee, while in the rear seat were Irene, a daughter, 18 years old; Tom, a son, 12 years old; and Genevieve, a daughter, 10 years old.

Biding with appellant in the front seat of her husband’s Cadillac automobile was her 10-year-old daughter. No other persons were in this car.

Appellee’s contention is that at the place of the collision the road is not on any curve and is practically straight for some five or six hundred feet, affording a clear view; while appellant contends that there is a substantial and dangerous curve going up a hill and around this curve the view is greatly obstructed. There is no substantial controversy at all as to the place where the actual collision occurred on the pavement as regards the place thereon from a northerly and southerly direction, but there is a dispute on which side of the center of the pavement it occurred. Appellant contends that the cars came into contact on the east side of the black center line of the pavement at least about 11 inches, while appellee contends that the collision occurred about a foot on the west side of the center of the black line.

Appellant offered, but the court refused to admit in evidence, a plat of the pavement and surrounding points, made a day or two after the accident by one Bower, surveyor of Piatt county.

Appellee’s son was driving appellee’s car in a southerly direction and at a rate of speed of 35 to 45 miles an hour when he came upon a farm wagon loaded with coal, pulled by a team of horses driven by witness Darwin Musick, going in a southerly direction also on the west side of the center of the pavement, up a hill and around the curve on which the collision occurred. When appellee’s car went from the west side of the pavement to the east side of the pavement to pass around the wagon and team, but before appellee’s car had passed the team and got on the west side of the black line and center of the pavement, the collision occurred with appellant’s automobile, which was traveling in a northerly direction on the east side of the black line and center of the pavement. The collision occurred by the left front part of appellant’s automobile striking the left front part of appellee’s car.

The result of the collision was that appellant’s automobile traveled along in a northerly direction on the east side of the center of the black line for about 20 feet, and moved backwards down into a ditch on the east side about 10 feet east of the east line of the pavement with the car coming to rest in a westerly direction. Appellee’s car traveled in a southerly direction, slid over to the west side of the pavement and off of the pavement on the west side shoulder thereof. It ran along on the ground parallel with the west edge of the pavement for a distance of 77 feet, turned over on the way and slid on its side practically all-of the way, tearing up the earth and knocking down guide posts.

Appellee’s car was torn to pieces and the occupants thrown in various directions from the car, but none of the occupants was seriously injured.

Appellant’s car was damaged. The left front wheel was crushed, the tire was burst and the end of the left front side of the bumper was cut off or doubled over.

Appellee obtained a judgment against appellant for $508.83 and appellant has brought the record, by appeal, to this court for review.

The principal assignment of error is based upon the court’s refusal to admit in evidence three photographs, a plat and drawing. The witness was placed in one of the photographs by one of appellant’s counsel at a point where it was claimed by appellant that the cars came together. In the second photograph the witness was placed at the spot where it was claimed by counsel the hind wheel of appellant’s car went into the ditch; and in the third the witness was placed where it was claimed the tire on appellant’s car skidded on the hard road. These photographs were taken on the day following the accident and the witness was the driver of the wagon which both cars passed at the time of the accident. The drawing was an engineer’s map of the road, purporting to show by lines the paths and operation of the cars upon the highway at the time of the accident. It was caused to be drawn and produced under the supervision of one of appellant’s counsel. Upon objection by app ellee, the court refused to admit these exhibits in evidence after the testimony was produced outside of the presence of the jury as to the source and nature of the proofs.

Appellee, to sustain this ruling, relies upon Chicago & E. I. R. Co. v. Crose, 214 Ill. 602; Ellis v. Flannigan, 253 Ill. 397; Grant v. Chicago & N. W. R. Co., 176 Ill. App. 292, and Nunnelley v. Muth, 195 Ky. 352, 242 S. W. 622; same case 27 A. L. R. 910. The Illinois court, in Grant v. Chicago & N. W. R. Co., supra, held:

“In the case of Chicago & E. I. R. Co. v. Crose, 214 Ill. 602, it is said that photographs offered in evidence for the purpose of contradicting witnesses or explaining a transaction are only competent when they are shown to have been so taken as correctly to exemplify the actual situation, circumstances and surroundings at the time. ‘When the situation and surrounding circumstances are subject to change, photographs, to be of any value as evidence, must be shown to have been taken at the time when the situation and surroundings are unchanged. ’

“Plaintiff had no power to cause like pictures to be taken; he had no control over the engine and cars, and no one representing him was present at the time the pictures were taken. He did not have (to make use of language similar to that employed in the case of Lake Erie & W. R. Co. v. Wilson, supra) opportunity to offer evidence as to whether the pictures correctly represented the situations as they were severally presented. The record bears out the statement of defendant’s counsel that it was admitted by both parties that an engine and train of cars stood just north of the north sidewalk on Lincoln Avenue; that plaintiff’s witnesses claimed that this engine and train of cars were about ten feet north of said sidewalk, and that defendant’s witnesses stated that the engine and train of cars stood thirty feet north of said sidewalk. It was not admitted, however, by the plaintiff that when the two sets of pictures were taken the engine and train of cars were placed respectively about ten feet north of the sidewalk and thirty feet north of the sidewalk. Defendant’s station agent testified that they were so placed, but the plaintiff had no means of ascertaining the accuracy of this statement.

“In the case of Ellis v. Flannigan, 253 Ill.

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270 Ill. App. 46, 1933 Ill. App. LEXIS 491, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burns-v-salyers-illappct-1933.