Hawkins v. Interurban Railway Co.

184 Iowa 232
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJune 24, 1918
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 184 Iowa 232 (Hawkins v. Interurban Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hawkins v. Interurban Railway Co., 184 Iowa 232 (iowa 1918).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

1. Railroads : liability attending operation : private crossings: warning signals. Plaintiff brings this action for damages on account of injuries which he claims to have received by colliding with one of defendant’s cars, while he was attempting to cross the tracks of the defendant interurban railway company at a place known as the Alexander Crossing, a short distance west of Altoona. At the place where the accident occurred, and for a considerable distance east and west thereof, the tracks of defendant run [234]*234parallel to the River-to-River Road, a highway extending across the state, upon which there is much travel. The highway lies south of the railroad right of way, and is separated from it by the right of way fence. The crossing was constructed of planks, in the usual manner, except, it is claimed by plaintiff, that one of the planks north of the north rail, becoming rotten, had been partially removed, leaving the top of the rail about four inches higher than the ground. Cattle guards, constructed in the usual manner, were placed at each side of the crossing, and were 66 feet apart. Wing fences were erected from the cattle guards to the right of way fence on each side of the right of way. These fences were constructed of six-inch boards, nailed to the posts so as to leave about six inches between them. The crossing was open at its intersection with the highway, but a gate was maintained at the north right of way fence, through which the Alexander premises were entered.

The accident occurred on the afternoon of July 13, 1913. Plaintiff was driving a small two-cylinder Maxwell car, going west on the River-to-River Road, and the car with which he collided was an extra, proceeding eastward to Mitchellville. The interurban cars, when operated over this line on schedule time, were run one hour and ten minutes apart. The regular eastbound car had passed plain-tiff on the highway somewhat less than two miles east of the crossing. The track of defendant’s railway, west of the crossing, passes through a cut from 2% to 4 feet in depth. The surface of the ground, however, is about level, from the crossing west for a distance of 125 feet, after which there is a decline to the west. Plaintiff was a man of small stature, being but 5 feet and 5 inches in height. The sun was shining brightly at the time of the accident, and a slight wind was blowing from the south. Charles Urfer, W. H. Keister, who sat in the front seat, and another man who [235]*235sat in the rear seat of an automobile, were following plaintiff in the highway a short distance behind, but arrived at the crossing in time to see the accident. A farmer by the name of Hammer, residing near, whose attention was attracted by the ringing of the gong on the interurban car, saw the collision. The other eyewitnesses were the conductor and motorman.

Plaintiff testified that he was traveling west- in the main traveled portion of the highway; and that the point where he turned therefrom toward the crossing was from 50 to 60 feet southeast therefrom; that he then looked west, and again when about 16 feet from the defendant’s track, and did not see the defendant’s car approaching; that he saw the car when the front wheels of his automobile were about on the crossing; that he attempted to reverse his car, but, believing he ivould be unable to avoid a collision, went forward, and the car collided with the rear of his automobile, throwing him a considerable distance against the right of way fence, severely injuring him. No warning of the approach of the interurban car was sounded until plaintiff was near the tracks.

There is some conflict in the testimony as to the exact location of plaintiff’s automobile, and also of the interurban car, when the warning was given. Keister testified that defendant’s car was, perhaps, 200 feet west of the crossing, and plaintiff’s automobile within 10 or 12 feet south of the track, when he heard two sharp blasts of the whistle. Urfer, the other occupant of the car, who was called as a witness, testified that the interurban car was not over 25, 50, or, maybe, 75 feet from the crossing when he first saw it, and that Hawkins was just about approaching the track, when he heard the whistle. Hammer testified that he- saw the automobile when it was turning from the highway north into the Alexander road, and that the interurban car was pretty close to the crossing when the auto[236]*236mobile turned; that it was a little further from the crossing than the automobile. Defendant’s conductor testified that his car was 150 to 200 feét from the crossing when the whistle bleiv, while the motorman stated that it was not over 100 feet from the crossing, and maybe not that far, when he first sounded the whistle. From the evidence, we gather that plaintiff; was traveling at the rate of 10 or 12 miles per hour in the highway, and reduced his speed somewhat after he turned into the Alexander road. The speed of the interurban car is not shown, except as tbe distance it traveled after the emergency brake was set might throw light thereon.

The reason assigned by plaintiff for not seeing the interurban car was that his view was obstructed by the wing fence and tall weeds and grass in close proximity thereto, and along defendant’s right of way fence for a considerable distance west. He also claimed that the defective condition of the crossing above stated made it necessary for him to exercise care in passing over the same with his automobile, and that his attention was, therefore, attracted toward the crossing. There is some evidence that the road was a few inches lower at the crossing than on either side thereof.

Keister further testified that he made observations from the car in which he was riding, and that he plainly saw the interurban car approaching the crossing, for a ¿onsiderable distance before the whistle was sounded. Later, observations were made, on behalf of defendant, of the crossing, and photographs and measurements were introduced in evidence for the purpose of showing that the car with which plaintiff collided could have been seen from the point where he turned from the highway toward the crossing for a distance of 463 feet, and from a point 28 feet from the crossing a distance of 433 feet, and from a point 10 feet South of the crossing for a distance of 759 feet.

[237]*237The height of defendant’s car is 13 feet from the rail to the top of the car, and the height of the trolley pole, in running position, 19% or 20 feet. Alexander, for whose use the crossing was constructed, testified that he had made observations from his automobile and also from a buggy, at or near the points indicated by plaintiff, and that he could see a car approaching at a distance of from 40 to 45 rods. The evidence does not disclose when these observations were made. There appears to have been no material change in the condition of the crossing or of the fence and vegetation in the vicinity, after the accident and before the observations were made by defendant’s witnesses and the photographs taken. Further necessary facts will be stated in the course of the opinion.

I. The grounds of negligence submitted by the court were stated in its instructions as follows:

“That the defendant corporation was negligent in that it failed to give proper or adequate signal or warning of the approach of said interurban car from the west at a reasonable and proper distance from said Alexander crossing, and failed to exercise ordinary care and diligence to warn the plaintiff of the approach of said interurban car.”

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Bluebook (online)
184 Iowa 232, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hawkins-v-interurban-railway-co-iowa-1918.