Hays v. Service Tank Lines, Inc.

169 P.2d 249, 74 Cal. App. 2d 577, 1946 Cal. App. LEXIS 1007
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 23, 1946
DocketCiv. No. 15088
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 169 P.2d 249 (Hays v. Service Tank Lines, Inc.) 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
Hays v. Service Tank Lines, Inc., 169 P.2d 249, 74 Cal. App. 2d 577, 1946 Cal. App. LEXIS 1007 (Cal. Ct. App. 1946).

Opinion

WOOD, J.

This is an action against defendants, Service Tank Lines, Inc., Howard R. Stonebraker, and Roy Richard Marley, for damages sustained as the result of an automobile collision. Trial was by jury, and the verdict was in favor of plaintiffs against Marley, and was in favor of defendants Ser[578]*578vice Tank Lines and Stonebraker. The trial court granted plaintiffs’ motion for a new trial as to Service Tank Lines and Stonebraker on the ground that the verdict and the judgment entered thereon were not supported by the evidence. Said last mentioned defendants appeal from the order granting the motion for a new trial.

The collision occurred on Sunday, February 13, 1944, about 3 p. m., at the intersection of Rosemead Boulevard and Anaheim Road in Los Angeles County. Each highway is 76 feet wide, paved and marked for two traffic lanes in each direction. Mechanical traffic signals, consisting of red, yellow, and green lights, were in operation on each corner of the right-angle intersection. It was a clear day. There was a one-story building on the northeast corner, and service stations on the other three corners.

Previous to the accident, defendant Marley had been proceeding in his automobile in' a westerly direction on Anaheim Road. He observed that the signal for traffic on Anaheim Road was red, and he stopped in the outside lane for westbound traffic, about 5 feet east of the east entrance to the intersection. Another automobile stopped at the east entrance to the intersection, in the inside lane for westbound traffic, to the left of and about 5 feet ahead of Marley.

Plaintiffs, husband and wife, had been proceeding in their automobile in a southerly direction on Rosemead Boulevard, and they stopped in the inside lane for southbound traffic, behind a Chevrolet truck which was stopped in the same lane, a few feet from the intersection, to await the green signal for traffic to proceed on Rosemead Boulevard. Another automobile stopped in the inside lane for southbound traffic, behind plaintiffs’ automobile, and another automobile stopped in the same lane behind that automobile. There was evidence that other southbound automobiles were stopped at the right of the southbound automobiles just mentioned. Another automobile stopped in the outside lane for southbound traffic, near the curb and a few feet north of the entrance to the intersection. At the time of the accident these southbound automobiles were stopped in the position just described.

Defendant Stonebraker, who was operating a Deisel tank truck and trailer, owned by defendant Service Tank Lines, was proceeding in a northerly direction on Rosemead Boulevard. The truck and trailer will be referred to as the truck. The 20-wheel truck was approximately 60 feet in length, was [579]*579loaded with 5,200 gallons of fuel oil, and, including the oil, weighed about 38 tons. As Stonebraker was approaching the intersection, about 200 or 300 feet south thereof, he observed that the signal for traffic on Rosemead Boulevard was green. The evidence is conflicting as to whether the signal for traffic on Rosemead Boulevard, at the time he entered the intersection, was yellow or red, and also is conflicting as to the rate of his speed when he entered the intersection. About this time defendant Marley (who, as stated above, had stopped east of the intersection) proceeded in a westerly direction into the intersection. Stonebraker continued in a straight course through the intersection until he was about 15 feet from Marley’s automobile, and then he swerved to the left but a portion of his truck collided with the front left fender and front bumper of the Marley automobile, which automobile was at that time approximately 20 feet west of the east entrance to the intersection. The truck then traveled in a northwesterly direction into the lanes for southbound traffic on Rosemead Boulevard. There it collided with the Chevrolet truck, plaintiffs’ automobile, the automobile behind plaintiffs' automobile, and the automobile in the outside traffic lane next to the curb. It continued to travel in a northwesterly direction and went into the lot or driveway of the service station on the northwest corner of the intersection, carrying with it the Chevrolet truck and the automobile which had been in the outside lane next to the curb, the automobile at that time being on its side against the front end of the truck and the Chevrolet truck being on top of the automobile.

The issue on appeal is whether the trial court abused its discretion in granting plaintiffs’ motion for a new trial on the ground that the evidence was insufficient to sustain the verdict.

Marley testified that the signal for traffic on Anaheim Road was green when he started his automobile into the intersection; that the automobile, which was stopped to his left, obstructed his view of northbound traffic on Rosemead Boulevard; that he moved ahead of said automobile, then glanced to his left to observe northbound traffic, saw the truck proceeding into the intersection, and stopped his automobile to permit the truck to go around him; that the truck was traveling at a speed of approximately 30 miles an hour, and that the speed was not decreased.

The owner of the automobile which was next to the curb [580]*580testified that at the time the truck swerved in front of Harley’s automobile the signal for traffic on Rosemead Boulevard was red; and that his (the witness’) automobile was demolished. He also testified that he first saw the truck when it was approximately 600 feet south of the intersection, at which time the signal for traffic on Rosemead Boulevard was red.

The driver of the automobile, which was behind plaintiffs’ automobile, testified that when he stopped behind plaintiffs the signal for traffic on Rosemead was “stop”; that he “just waited there,” and before the collision another automobile came to a stop behind his automobile; that he first saw the truck in the middle of the intersection before it swerved, and it was traveling between 30 and 35 miles an hour; and that it cost $250 to repair his automobile.

Another witness testified that at the time of the accident he was stopped at the west entrance to the intersection on Anaheim Road; that he had his eyes “glued” on the signal on the northeast corner, and saw it change from red to green; and that after it changed to green he observed Harley’s automobile start into the intersection.

Plaintiff Hrs. Hays testified that she saw the truck approaching the intersection, and it was next to the curb—“kind of hugging the curb ’ ’; and at that time two automobiles were stopped side by side in the northbound traffic lanes south of the intersection.

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Related

McCoy v. Yellow Cab Co.
198 P.2d 371 (California Court of Appeal, 1948)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
169 P.2d 249, 74 Cal. App. 2d 577, 1946 Cal. App. LEXIS 1007, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hays-v-service-tank-lines-inc-calctapp-1946.