Green v. Hodges

86 So. 2d 335, 227 Miss. 475, 1956 Miss. LEXIS 714
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedApril 2, 1956
DocketNo. 40096
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 86 So. 2d 335 (Green v. Hodges) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Green v. Hodges, 86 So. 2d 335, 227 Miss. 475, 1956 Miss. LEXIS 714 (Mich. 1956).

Opinion

Holmes, J.

James Edward Hodges was killed on June 10, 1953, as the result of a highway accident which occurred about 2:30 o’clock P.M. on Highway 15 in Choctaw County, about one mile south of the Town of Mathiston. Claims for damages arising out of the death of the deceased were asserted by his administrator against Roy C. Hodges, Uel H. P. Sawyer, Joe A. Day and Oscar Green. Settlement was effected by the administrator as to all claims against Sawyer and Day, who paid $9,000 in exchange for a covenant not to sue. This suit was then filed against Oscar Green and Roy C. Hodges seeking to recover of them damages for the death of the deceased. The trial of the case resulted in a peremptory instruction for Roy C. Hodges and a jury verdict in favor of the plaintiff and against Oscar Green for $10,000. From the judgment entered, this appeal is prosecuted by Oscar Green.

Three vehicles were on the highway at the time of the accident. A farm tractor to which was attached a four-wheel rubber tired wagon or trailer loaded with logs was being driven by Roy C. Hodges. He was proceeding north and was traveling on his right hand side of the road at a rate of speed of about 15 miles per hour. The deceased was riding on the tractor. Proceeding north and approaching the tractor from the rear was a Buick automobile owned by Joe A. Day and driven by Uel H. P. Sawyer. Sawyer was driving on his righthand side of the road and was traveling at a rate of speed, according to his testimony, of about 40 to 45 miles per hour. Proceeding in the same direction and following the Buick automobile was an automobile driven by the appellant. [480]*480The appellant testified that he was traveling on his right-hand side of the road.at a rate of speed of from 55 to 60 miles per hour. The highway was paved and there were no other vehicles on the highway than those mentioned, and at the place of the accident the highway was straight in both directions. The weather was clear and visibility was good for a distance of approximately one-quarter of a mile in both directions.

Sawyer testified that he was a British subject, residing in Nassau in the Bahama Islands, and was at the time on a visit in this country; that he was accustomed to driving in Nassau where the rules of the road require the driver of a motor vehicle to di'ive on the left-hand side of the road, and to pass a vehicle going in the same direction on the right of the vehicle to be passed, but that he was also accustomed to driving an automobile in this country where the rules of the road are the opposite. He further testified that he observed the tractor and trailer in front of him and that before attempting to pass the same he glanced in his rear view mirror and saw the appellant’s car approaching and apparently intending to pass, since his car was partly over the center line of the highway; that Sawyer then turned his car to the right, and in doing so, struck the rear of the trailer, as a result of which logs were scattered over the highway. As a result of this impact, the deceased was killed. Sawyer further testified that when he last saw the appellant approaching from the rear, the appellant was about 100 or 150 feet from him and traveling at a rate of speed which he estimated to be 60 or 65 miles per hour. On cross-examination, he later testified that he was unable to say whether the appellant was exceeding 60 miles per hour or not. Sawyer was then about 50 feet from the tractor and trailer. The appellant did not run into the Sawyer car or the tractor and trailer, did not hit or strike anything, and came to a stop on arriving at the scene of the accident.

[481]*481The negligence charged to the appellant is (1) that he was operating his automobile at an unreasonable and unlawful rate of speed; (2) that he failed to keep his vehicle under control, and failed to keep a reasonable and proper lookout ahead; (3) that he failed to exercise reasonable care and caution required of a man of ordinary prudence under the circumstances then and there apparent; and (4) that he attempted to pass the vehicles preceding him at a time when so to do obviously created a dangerous and hazardous situation.

We have carefully reviewed the evidence in this case and we are unable to detect any negligent act on the part of the appellant which in any manner proximatetly caused or contributed to the death of the deceased. The appellant had a right to be on the highway, and even assuming that he intended to pass the vehicles in front of him, he had the right to do so if the left lane was clear, as the testimony shows it was. Even if he intended to pass, it was not to be reasonably foreseen by him as an ordinarily prudent person that Sawyer would then undertake to pass the tractor to the right, and in so doing, drive into the rear of the trailer. The law is well settled that before one can be held liable for negligence, the attendant circumstances must be such that an ordinarily prudent person ought reasonably to have anticipated that some injury would probably result from the act done, and the probability must be a reasonable one. Sturdivant v. Crosby Lumber Co., 218 Miss. 91, 65 So. 2d 291; Gulf Refining Company v. Williams, 183 Miss. 723, 185 So. 234.

As we view the testimony, it reveals no conduct on the part of the appellant which is not consistent with the acts of a reasonably prudent person. Further, we think that the evidence wholly fails to show that appellant, under the attendant circumstances, could have reasonably foreseen the tragedy which occurred. If there was any negligence on the part of anyone proximately [482]*482causing or contributing to the injury, it was the negligence of Sawyer in turning his car to the right and running into the rear of the trailer when he could have, in the exercise of reasonable care, continued behind .the trailer on his right-hand side of the road without hazard to anyone. As we see the case, appellant was no more than an unfortunate witness to a tragic accident. It is our conclusion, therefore, that the judgment of the court below should be and it is. reversed and judgment rendered here for the appellant.

Reversed and judgment here for appellant.

Roberds, P.J., and Rail, Lee and Ethridge, JJ., concur.

ON SUGGESTION OF ERROR AND MOTION TO DISMISS APPEAL.

Ethridge, J.

On suggestion of error appellee argues again that it was a question of fact for the jury as to whether appellant Green was negligent in driving up to the rear of Sawyer’s car at a rate of speed in excess of the speed limits and in attempting to pass the two vehicles ahead of him at a time when to do so should to a reasonable man have indicated that he would create a dangerous and a hazardous situation.

With reference to the speed of Green’s car, appellee takes statements by Sawyer that Green was a quarter of a mile behind him when he (Sawyer) travelling at 45 to 50 miles per hour, was a quarter of a mile behind the tractor and trailer, and, applying an algebraic formula, appellee contends that Green must have been driving at a speed of more than 84 miles per hour to have overtaken Sawyer in this distance. All three of the vehicles were moving objects at various speeds, and a witness’ estimate as to the respective distances at one point before the collision is usually not a sound basis for mathematical inferences and estimates as to speed, particularly [483]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
86 So. 2d 335, 227 Miss. 475, 1956 Miss. LEXIS 714, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/green-v-hodges-miss-1956.