Johnston v. Withrow

8 La. App. 702, 1928 La. App. LEXIS 232
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 28, 1928
DocketNo. 3223
StatusPublished

This text of 8 La. App. 702 (Johnston v. Withrow) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnston v. Withrow, 8 La. App. 702, 1928 La. App. LEXIS 232 (La. Ct. App. 1928).

Opinion

STATEMENT OP THE CASE

REYNOLDS, J.

Plaintiff, W. M. Johnston, sues defendant, Juanita Withrow, for the sum of $194.80 with legal interest thereon from judicial demand, damages alleged to have been done to an automobile owned by him in a collision between it and an automobile owned and operated by her, and which collision, it is alleged, was solely the result of negligence on the part of defendant in operating her automobile.

Defendant denied negligence and alleged that the collision was caused solely by plaintiff’s negligent operation of his own automobile.

On these issues the case was tried and there was judgment in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendant as prayed for by him and the defendant appealed.

OPINION

The question to be determined in this case is purely one of fact, namely: whose fault, that of plaintiff or that of defendant, was the proximate cause. of the collision?

The plaintiff testified:

“Q. You allege that on January 10th, of this year, while driving on Elliott street, you were run into by a car of Mjs. Withrow. Will you briefly tell the court which way you were going, the way Mrs. Withrow was going, and the circumstances regarding this collision?
“A. I was driving down Elliott street toward Tenth street, in the direction of and approaching Seventh street, and approaching Seventh street I slowed up and looked noth directions, and I saw Mrs. Withrow’s car at something like one-half block from the corner at the time I slowed down, and I knew that I had plenty of time to cross, so I released my brake and started to cross and by the time I passed the intersection I saw her car was very close to me, and I made an effort to speed my car to get out of the way if I could, but I couldn’t do it. I got the back end of the car three feet from the center of | the street on the right hand side and I struck Mrs. Withrow’s car and turned my car completely over, just missing a telephone pole.
“Q. What kind of car were you driving?
“A. Twenty-five model Dodge touring car.
[703]*703“Q. What kind of car was Mrs. With-row driving?
“A. She was driving a Ford coupe, which I took to be about a ’25 model also.
“Q. How fast were you proceeding out Elliott street?
“A. Between twenty and twenty-five miles an hour.
“Q. You were proceeding at that speed before you slowed down or after?
“A. About twelve miles an hour when I approached Seventh street, and I slowed down slightly, don’t know, not very much, and I saw the street was clear and released my brake and started across. I judge • I was driving around ten miles an hour, not any faster than that.
“Q. Could you estimate the rate of speed Mrs. Withrow was traveling?
“A. Well, I would judge she was driving close to twenty-five miles an hour; the time I noticed her car it was about five feet from my car when I noticed she was getting close to me. I would judge her to be making twenty-five miles an hour.
“Q. You say your car was hit, the rear portion of it, by Mrs. Withrow’s car?
“A. The rear portion of it; that is, this end; that is, her left wheel hit my left running board.
“Q. When your car was turned over, your car I mean, what position in the street was it?
“A. The car was turned down on its side; I couldn’t exactly say the position it was in. It ripped the top open, I believe it was the strain, so I could get out from under it.
“Q. Turned over on its right hand side?
“A. Yes, sir; on the right hand side, down on the top like.
“Q. Was there much traffic on Elliott street at that time?
“A. No, sir; I don’t think there was a car across Seventh street at any time— well, when I came within two blocks of Seventh street, I don’t remember a car crossing Seventh.”

George A. Randolph testified:

“Q. Tell the court just what you saw, Mr. Randolph, with reference to this collision?
“A. Mr. Johnston was driving towards Tenth street on Elliott street and Mrs. Withrow was driving towards Monroe street on Seventh street, and she hit his car and turned it over.
“Q. Were you looking at these two cars at the time they came together?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. How fast would you say Mr. Johnston was driving?
“A. I would judge Mr. Johnston’s speed about twelve miles an hour.
“Q. Did you notice whether he slowed up before he came into the intersection?
“A. No, sir; I never noticed him slowing up; looked to me he held the same speed.
“Q. How fast would you say Mrs. With-row was driving?
“A. About twenty-five miles an hour.
“Q. Did she appear to slacken her speed as she approached the intersection?
“A. No, sir; it appeared to me her car went faster when she got to the intersection.
“Q. Did she turn her car in any direction other than the direction she was going, when she struck Mr. Johnston?
“A. No, sir; she was in the middle of the street. I couldn’t tell that she turned the car in any direction.
“Q. Did you assist Mr. Johnston in getting out of the car?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. What did you do, Mr. Randolph?
“A. Helped lift the caf off of him.
“Q. Were you the first person at the collision after it took place?
“A. Yes, sir.
* * *
“Q. What portion of Mr. Johnston’s car was struck by what portion of Mrs. With-row’s car?
“A. Well, it was a little over half way towards the rear of the car, seemed to me like. I never paid’ much attention to the marks of any of the cars where they hit.
“Q. Now which ear entered the intersection first?
“A. Mr. Johnston’s.
“Q. How far in the intersection was his car when Mrs. Withrow’s car entered the intersection?
“A. He was just a little over half way — well, his motor was over half way in the street.
“Q. When Mrs. Withrow entered the [704]*704intersection?
“A. When she entered. I would say his motor about half way of the street when Mrs. Withrow entered.
“Q. Then his car was beyond the manhole in the center of the street, or the motor of the car?

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8 La. App. 702, 1928 La. App. LEXIS 232, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnston-v-withrow-lactapp-1928.