Conway v. Gurney

181 Cal. App. 2d 239, 5 Cal. Rptr. 248, 1960 Cal. App. LEXIS 1989
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 24, 1960
DocketCiv. no. 18994
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 181 Cal. App. 2d 239 (Conway v. Gurney) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Conway v. Gurney, 181 Cal. App. 2d 239, 5 Cal. Rptr. 248, 1960 Cal. App. LEXIS 1989 (Cal. Ct. App. 1960).

Opinion

KAUFMAN, P. J.

Appellant, Jessie M. Conway, filed this action for personal injuries sustained as a guest in respondent’s vehicle which was involved in an accident with an automobile driven by Mrs. Ruby McClelland. The respondent, Corwin N. Gurney, and Mrs. McClelland filed cross-complaints against each other. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the respondent and Mrs. McClelland on the appellant’s complaint and in favor of Mrs. McClelland on her cross-complaint. This appeal is taken only from the judgment rendered in favor of defendant Gurney on the complaint. Appellant argues that the trial court erred in: (1) allowing [241]*241respondent’s attorney to argue an erroneous principle of law to the jury; (2) failing to give certain instructions requested by the appellant; (3) giving conflicting instructions on the meaning of “wilful misconduct’’; (4) giving erroneous instruction about the defense of assumption of risk; and (5) denying appellant’s motion for a new trial.

The appeal is on an engrossed settled statement, pursuant to rule 7(b) of the Rules on Appeal. The accident occurred about 10 p. m. on January 22, 1958, at the intersection of Franklin and California' Streets in San Francisco. At this intersection, Franklin Street is 56 feet wide and has three traffic lanes going north on the south side of California Street and two lanes going north and one lane going south on the north side of California Street. California Street is 61 feet wide from curb to curb and has lanes of traffic going east and west. The intersection is controlled by a three-way signal. The lights at the intersection are hooded so that a driver coming up Franklin Street cannot see the light on California Street until he is up to the intersection. The intersection is level but on the west, the downgrade between Gough and Franklin Streets is about 8-10 per cent.

The respondent was driving east on California Street in the lane next to the parking lane. Mrs. McClelland was driving north on Franklin Street in the far left lane, next to the parking lane.

There is no question that the appellant was a guest in the respondent’s vehicle within the meaning of section 403 of the Vehicle Code. The appellant was sitting on the right side of the back seat of respondent’s vehicle; Mrs. Engelcke was seated to her left, and John Begley occupied the front seat next to the respondent. The appellant testified that when they were about a car length from the intersection, she saw the amber light; the light did not turn red until after the impact which the appellant estimated took place in the vicinity of the manhole in the center of the street, more or less on the west side. She did not know whether respondent applied his brakes immediately but he continued to travel for about 35 feet and then came in contact with another ear. She estimated that the respondent was driving at a speed of about 40-45 miles an hour, but did not protest to him or anyone else or ask to be let out of the car. The police officers ap[242]*242peared about 10 minutes after the accident and measured the skidmarks which averaged about 70 feet. Immediately after the accident, she told Mr. Begley that the respondent had gone through a red light, but Mr. Begley told her not to say anything.

Under section 2055 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the respondent testified that he was driving about 25-30 miles an hour, not faster than 30 miles an hour at any time. When he was about 40-50 feet from the intersection, the traffic light was green. As he approached the Franklin Street crosswalk, he saw that the light was yellow and went through on it. The light did not turn red until after the impact. He did not go through the red light and did not see the McClelland vehicle before the accident. He began to skid when he was about 23-24 feet from the property line on the east side of Franklin Street, and skidded all the way down California Street until he hit a vehicle parked east of Franklin Street on the south side of California Street. He did not fully apply the brakes until after the impact. Just before he entered the intersection, he was talking to Mr. Begley who sat with him on the front seat; the car radio was on. He was familiar with the intersection and his brakes and tires were in good condition.

One of the police officers who arrived at the scene of the accident shortly afterward testified that neither he nor his fellow officer had measured the skidmarks from the point of impact down the hill and denied telling the plaintiff’s attorney that he had measured the skidmarks and shown them to be 70 feet on the police report. He further stated that the right rear bumper and fender of the respondent’s vehicle was struck by the McClelland automobile when the respondent’s automobile was almost through the intersection with its front part in the easterly pedestrian lane. The police officer who arrived shortly after the accident, estimated that the respondent’s car had traveled about 70 feet before coming to rest after the impact. The skidmarks were not measured as they were not long enough for a speeding citation.

John Begley, who was also a guest in the automobile, testified that he guessed the respondent was driving at a speed of about 25 miles an hour; that it could not have been more than 35. He testified that the last time he saw the traffic light, about 40 feet before the intersection, it was green; he did not see the light turn yellow and was not looking at the lights as they went through the intersection. He did not [243]*243feel that respondent put on the brakes until the impact. He further testified that the respondent was talking to him while driving and that the headlights were on. He denied the conversation with the appellant after the accident.

Mrs. McClelland testified that she was driving north on Franklin Street in the left lane, next to the parking lane. When she was midway between Pine and California Streets, she noticed the signal light on California turn yellow and accordingly shifted into a lower gear. When she was about 15 feet from the intersection, the signal turned green for her. Cars were parked in the curb lanes on both sides of Franklin Street and the driving lanes to her right were filled with automobiles. Tall buildings at the property line on the southwest corner of the intersection prevented her from seeing any distance west on California until she had reached the pedestrian crosswalk. As she was crossing the pedestrian lane across Franklin Street, she looked to the west up California Street and did not see the respondent’s car. When she first saw the respondent’s ear, it was 7-8 feet in front of her. She put on her brakes and tried to avoid hitting it by swerving to the left, but her right fender and head lamp struck his right rear fender. She estimated that her speed was 10-15 miles per hour. She estimated that the respondent’s speed had been between 40 and 50 miles and testified that his headlights were not on. It was stipulated that the testimony of J. D. McClelland would be the same as Euby McClelland.

In rebuttal, the appellant testified that immediately after the accident, she told Mr. Begley that the respondent had run through a red light and Mr. Begley told her to keep quiet; that there were skidmarks starting back of the west curb line of Franklin Street and that these marks had been measured by the two police officers who testified earlier.

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Bluebook (online)
181 Cal. App. 2d 239, 5 Cal. Rptr. 248, 1960 Cal. App. LEXIS 1989, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/conway-v-gurney-calctapp-1960.