Gile v. Nielsen

145 P.2d 288, 20 Wash. 2d 1
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 27, 1944
DocketNo. 29080.
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 145 P.2d 288 (Gile v. Nielsen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gile v. Nielsen, 145 P.2d 288, 20 Wash. 2d 1 (Wash. 1944).

Opinion

Jeffers, J. —

This is an appeal by plaintiffs, R. H. Gile and wife, from a judgment entered on the verdict of a jury, after a motion for new trial had been made and denied. The judgment dismissed plaintiffs’ action and awarded costs to defendants, Fred Nielsen and Anna Nielsen, his wife.

The allegations of the complaint as to the claimed negligence of defendants are as follows: That on October 26, 1941, at about ten o’clock in the forenoon, plaintiff R. H. Gile was driving his car on the Ocean Beach highway toward the city of South Bend, operating his car in a careful and reasonable manner, and approaching the intersection of Ocean Beach highway and highway No. 830; that defendants’ car was approaching the intersection, and entered into the main highway at a high and dangerous rate of speed, at least forty-five miles per hour, which was unreasonable and improper under the circumstances, and in a reckless manner and without keeping a lookout for traffic and without stopping at the stop sign on highway No. 830.

Defendants by their answer denied all allegations of negligence on their part, and alleged affirmatively contributory negligence on the part of plaintiffs. By way of a cross-complaint, defendants alleged negligence on the part of *3 plaintiffs and damage to defendants’ car as the proximate result thereof. Plaintiffs by their reply denied the affirmative matter set up in defendants’ answer.

The following verdict was returned by the jury: “We the jury in the above entitled case find for the defendants.”

By instruction No. 17%, three forms of verdict were submitted to the jury: (1) A verdict for plaintiffs, assessing the amount of their damages, if any; (2) a verdict for the defendants, assessing the amount of their damages, if any; and (3) a verdict for the defendants.

It is evident from the verdict returned that the jury found that plaintiffs were not entitled to recover, and that defendants were not entitled to recover on their cross-complaint. Defendants have not cross-appealed, and have filed no appearance in this court.

Appellants assign error in refusing to allow the witness Almon Church to testify that he had known Mr. Gile for some time, and had never seen him under the influence of liquor, and that Mr. Gile did not use liquor at all; in giving instructions Nos. 3, 9, and 14; in giving instructions Nos. 4, 6, 8,10,12,15, and 17; in denying appellants’ motion for new trial; and in entering judgment in favor of respondents, dismissing appellants’ action and awarding respondents costs.

We shall hereinafter refer to Mr. Gile as though he were the only appellant.

There were introduced in evidence, without objection, among others, four exhibits. Appellant’s exhibit D shows the intersection of primary state highway No. 830 with U. S. Highway No. 101, which is an arterial state highway, sometimes referred to as the Ocean Beach highway. This exhibit was prepared by Mr. Halvorsen, a civil engineer. Both of these highways are paved and have yellow stripes down the center. On highway No. 830, just before the intersection is reached, there is a stop sign at the side of the road, and also a stop sign printed on the pavement. Neither of these highways runs directly north and south or east and west. Highway No. 101 runs in a northeasterly direction, and highway No. 830 runs in a northwesterly direction, *4 where it joins highway No. 101. Highway No. 830 stops at highway No. 101. One driving up highway No. 830 and intending to go west on highway No. 101, toward Long Beach, is not required to make much of a turn to the left, because 'of the angle at which highway No. 830 intersects highway No. 101. There is a sharp curve to the right, or toward South Bend.

Exhibit A is one of three pictures taken by Dave Eveland, a photographer from Raymond, at the scene of the accident about ten minutes after the collision. It shows the intersection, some black spots on the pavement where the collision occurred, and appellant’s car resting on its top on the edge of the pavement, headed back toward Long Beach, on the left-hand side of the highway for a car traveling toward South Bend, the direction in which appellant was going. The picture also shows highway No. 830 for some considerable distance to the southeast of the intersection. According to the testimony of a deputy sheriff, appellant’s car was one ■hundred twenty feet from where the collision occurred, and there were skid marks on the pavement and on the shoulders, indicating that appellant’s car had slid on its top and was headed west, or in the direction from which it had come.

Exhibit B is a close-up of appellant’s car, showing that it was damaged along the right side. The picture also shows trees and a large ferry sign on the right side of highway No. 101 as one approached the intersection from the west. . (Gile was coming from the west.)

Exhibit C is a close-up of respondents’ car. It does not show any injury to the radiator or hood, but only to the right front fender and wheel, and possibly to the right front door. At the time this picture was taken, respondents’ car was standing off the pavement on highway No. 830 just east of the intersection, where, according to the testimony of Mr. Nielsen, it had been driven by him after the accident.

There is some conflict in the testimony as to just where the collision took place, that is, whether actually in the intersection or immediately to the west of it.

*5 Rem. Rev. Stat., Vol. 7A, § 6360-1 [P. C.. § 2696-767], subd. (u), defines “intersection area” as follows:

“The area embraced within the prolongation of the lateral curb lines, or, if there be no curbs, then the lateral roadway boundary lines, of two or more public highways which join one another at an angle, whether or not such highways cross one another.” (Italics ours.)

To the left or west of the intersection, there is a curve in highway No. 101 which obscures the view of the intersection; that is, one coming from the west, the direction from which Mr. Gile was coming, cannot see the intersection until he gets around this curve. From the testimony it is not clear how much the trees and the ferry sign to the right of highway No. 101, as one comes from the west, shut off the view of highway No. 830 to the east of the intersection, the direction from which respondents were coming.

It is impossible to tell from the exhibits just what area is included in the intersection, because of the way in which the highways join, and because there is no definite indication of the lateral roadway boundary lines.

The testimony of Mrs. Nielsen, who was driving respondents’ car at the time of the accident, is to the effect that respondents, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Vincent, left their home near Skomakawa that morning, intending to go to Long Beach. Mrs. Vincent was riding in the front seat with Mrs. Nielsen, and the two men were in the back seat. As Mrs. Nielsen, proceeding northwesterly on highway No. 830, approached the intersection, she stopped at the stop sign on the pavement, looked up highway No. 101 to the right toward South Bend and then to the left toward Long Beach, and, seeing no cars, started toward the intersection. As she got into the intersection, she saw a car on highway No.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Suzanne G. Kunda v. Mickey D. Shaul, et ux
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2018
Soper v. Clibborn
644 P.2d 738 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1982)
Falkner v. Thompson
1978 OK CIV APP 49 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1978)
Barnes v. LABOR HALL ASS'N., INC.
319 P.2d 554 (Washington Supreme Court, 1957)
Sigurdson v. City of Seattle
292 P.2d 214 (Washington Supreme Court, 1956)
Burwell v. Moore
288 P.2d 841 (Washington Supreme Court, 1955)
Bailey v. Carver
286 P.2d 680 (Washington Supreme Court, 1955)
McKinney v. Preston Mill Co.
237 P.2d 788 (Washington Supreme Court, 1951)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
145 P.2d 288, 20 Wash. 2d 1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gile-v-nielsen-wash-1944.