Johnston, Administratrix v. Ecord

412 P.2d 990, 196 Kan. 521, 1966 Kan. LEXIS 308
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedApril 9, 1966
Docket44,395
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 412 P.2d 990 (Johnston, Administratrix v. Ecord) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnston, Administratrix v. Ecord, 412 P.2d 990, 196 Kan. 521, 1966 Kan. LEXIS 308 (kan 1966).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Harman, C.:

This is a negligence action in two counts brought by an administratrix. The first cause of action is for personal injury to plaintiffs decedent prior to death and for automobile damage, and the second is for wrongful death, both allegedly caused by negligence of defendant in a rear-end auto collision. The jury assessed damages for plaintiff on both causes after a directed verdict on the liability phase of the case and defendant appeals.

Consideration of the liability feature requires a review of the evidence thereon. The decedent and defendant were the drivers of automobiles involved in a collision which occurred on a Saturday afternoon, August 19, 1961, on U. S. highway 54 in Wichita. Decedent died October 7, 1961. There were two witnesses on the issue of liability; an investigating police officer and defendant. West Kellogg avenue is a four lane divided highway with a medial strip of grass twenty-four feet wide between the eastbound and westbound lanes. The minimum speed limit is thirty-five and the maximum fifty miles per hour. Near the 1200 block on the north or westbound lanes on a downhill grade there is an exit for traffic for Seneca street, the exit being west of the crest of an overpass bridge for Seneca street. Further west there is an approach to Kellogg avenue from Seneca street, as reflected in photographs of the scene. Kellogg contains additional lanes for the use of exiting and entering traffic. According to the investigating officer the collision took place in the south or left westbound lane between the Seneca exit and the approach, the point of impact being fifty-four feet east of the east edge of the approach from Seneca street. Defendant’s vehicle laid down sixty-one feet of skidmarks prior to impact and another twenty-three feet of skidmarks after impact. The officer testified there were no skidmarks he could relate to decedent’s vehicle. He discussed the collision with both drivers, both signed written reports, and the officer further testified:

*523 “Q. Tell the Court and jury what the driver of each vehicle told you.
“A. The driver of the No. 1 vehicle- — ■
“Q. That was who now?
“A. That was the — Mr. Johnston.
“Q. All right.
“A. —stated that he had pulled out and passed a — another vehicle on the east side of the overpass and remained in this lane. As he was coming down the west slope, he saw a dog coming across from the south and applied his brakes, slowing up, when he was struck in the rear. The driver of the No. 2 vehicle, Mr. Ecord, stated that he was following another vehicle west. Both of them were in the right-hand lane. He stated the other vehicle suddenly applied her brakes and slowed sharply. He was — unknown reason that she slowed up. He stated that at the point almost past the exit road, the No. 2 driver or Mr. Ecord, glanced back, saw that there was no one in his immediate rear or that he could see no one behind him, pulled over into the left lane and, as he did, he saw the No. 1 vehicle had applied his brakes, and he also attempted to stop, was unable to stop before the impact.
“Q. All right, sir. Now, if I understand it correctly, Mr. Johnston told you that he passed this other car when he was east of the overpass?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q'. And did you ask him or did he say why he still remained in the inside lane of traffic?
“A. I don’t recall what the conversation was in regard to why he stayed over there.
“Q. Now, sir, did you ask Mr. Johnston where this dog was when he started slowing his vehicle?
“A. I — I really can’t recall that I asked him that particular question. However, somewhere in the conversation he said it was running from the south.
“Q. It hadn’t yet got out on the road, had it?
“A. That I couldn’t say.”

Under the heading “describe accident in detail” in the signed written accident report by defendant it was stated (as nearly as can be made out from a somewhat illegible copy):

“Driving in Right hand lane. Car ahead missed Seneca turn off & slowed abruptly — Slowed ch’d [changed — ?] left lane behind and swung around her. Car Stopped immediately in front of me for a dog tried to miss him but could [n’t — ?] stop fast enough to miss car stopped in center lane.”

In the space on the report headed “Distance Danger Noticed” a notation of fifty feet appears. Approximate speed of defendant’s vehicle was indicated at forty to forty-five miles per hour.

On the report signed by decedent wherein the accident is described this appears:

“Going West on 54 appro 40 mi hr Driving in left Lane slow down to miss *524 dog — man in back of me on right hand lane turned left to miss woman who had changed her Mind not to turn on Seneca St.”

The figures on decedent’s report indicating approximate speed are marked over so that it is difficult to tell whether a figure of 10, 15, 20 or 25 was finally intended. This referred to speed at point of impact. Photographs of decedent’s automobile showed the rear end thereof substantially damaged.

Defendant testified that he was driving west on Kellogg and further that:

“A. Well, as I approached the overpass on Seneca Street, I was in the right-hand lane, proceeding west. As I came over the overpass, which is humped like this (indicating), at some point over the — at some point while you’re on this overpass, you can see below the overpass the exit that goes around and onto Seneca Street, headed south. And, as I recall, at that exit, there was a vehicle to the — with brake lights on, either stopped or making no visible forward progress. This immediately presents the problem of — since the exit is there — is this driver going to speed up—
“A. I decided that rather than risk this car still being there when I arrived or even coming towards me in trying to get off at this exit, that it would be best to use the passing lane.
“Q. All right. Now had this car gone beyond the exit there at Seneca Street?
“A. It was at the exit or had just gone slightly by; I couldn’t say whether it was at the exit or just by, but it was obvious that the driver either intended to get into this exit or had suddenly become aware of the fact that they had intended to, and had made an abrupt stop, as evidenced by the fact that the brake lights were on and the car was making no visible progress ahead.
“Q. All right. Was there anybody in the car?
“A. A woman was driving the car, and the heads of two little children were visible.
“Q. All right, sir. Then what did you do?
“A.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
412 P.2d 990, 196 Kan. 521, 1966 Kan. LEXIS 308, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnston-administratrix-v-ecord-kan-1966.