Langdon v. Cincinnati Street Railway Co.

62 N.E.2d 380, 75 Ohio App. 482, 43 Ohio Law. Abs. 277, 31 Ohio Op. 281, 1943 Ohio App. LEXIS 599
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 6, 1943
Docket6333
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 62 N.E.2d 380 (Langdon v. Cincinnati Street Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Langdon v. Cincinnati Street Railway Co., 62 N.E.2d 380, 75 Ohio App. 482, 43 Ohio Law. Abs. 277, 31 Ohio Op. 281, 1943 Ohio App. LEXIS 599 (Ohio Ct. App. 1943).

Opinion

*279 OPINION

By MATTHEWS, J.

This action for damages on account of personal injuries arose out of a collision between an automobile in which the plaintiff was riding as a guest and a trolley bus of the defendant. The collision occurred in the intersection of Kirby Avenue and Chase Avenue, two public streets in the City of Cincinnati. The automobile in which the plaintiff was riding was proceeding north on Kirby Avenue. The defendant’s trolley bus was proceeding westwardly on Chase Avenue. The collision occurred about four o’clock in the morning. There were traffic control devices installed at the intersection designed to control the flow of traffic by exhibiting different colored lights. At the time these vehicles were approaching and entering the intersection, the only light that was being displayed was yellow and it was flashing on and off.

There was a verdict for the plaintiff and judgment was rendered in conformity to it for the plaintiff. The appeal is from that judgment.

Various errors are assigned which we shall consider.

(1) The defendant, before argument to the jury, presented four special charges in writing, with the request that the jury be so instructed before argument. The request was refused and this is assigned as error. These special charges are:

“Special Charge No. 1. The court charges you that the trolley bus which was proceeding on Chase Avenue to the right of the automobile of Lillian Schaefer had the right of way to cross the intersection of Chase and Kirby Avenues in advance of the automobile of Lillian Schaefer while traveling in a lawful manner.”
“Special Charge No. 2. The court charges you that, if you find that the driver of the automobile in which plaintiff was riding was proceeding across the intersection under such circumstances that she may have been required to stop to concede the right of way to the approaching bus, then she was- required by law to proceed at a speed sufficiently slow to stop promptly the automobile which .she was operating and thus not cross the path of the motor bus having the right of way.”
“Special Charge No. 3. The court charges you that the term ‘right of way’ means the right of a vehicle, street car, trackless trolley, or pedestrian to proceed uninteruptedly in *280 a lawful manner in the direction in which it or he is moving in preference to another vehicle, street car, trackless trolley, or pedestrian approaching from a different direction into its or his path.”
“Special Charge'No. 4. The court charges you that the driver of an automobile proceeding across an intersection under such circumstances that he may be required to stop and concede the right of way must proceed at a speed sufficiently slow to stop promptly the vehicle which he is operating, and thus not cross the path of the vehicle having the right of way.”

An examination of the general charge discloses that the court instructed the jury that the rule of conduct for both parties was the exercise of reasonable care. We are informed by counsel that the trial court refused the special charges and instructed the jury as it did on the theory that the provision in ■ §6307-15 GC, with reference to flashing yellow traffic signals rendered inoperative in this case those statutory provisions relating to right of way at intersections, specifically §6307-40 GC. Eliminating non-essential portions, those sections are:

“Whenever flashing red or yellow traffic signals are used they shall require obedience as follows:
“2. Flashing yellow (caution signal). Operators of vehicles, trackless trolleys and street cars may proceed through the intersection or past such signal only with caution.”
“Excepting where otherwise provided the operator of a vehicle, street car or trackless trolley shall yield the right-of-way at an intersection to a vehicle, street car or trackless trolley approaching from the right.”

That these special charges contain correct statements of the law is not disputed. The claim is that they are inapplicable.

The contention of the appellee is that §6307-40 GC, is inoperative by its own terms, when there is another provision, and that §6307-15 GC, is such other provision, establishing the single rule applicable to all of proceeding with caution through intersections. We cannot concur in this view. For §6307-15 GC, to supersede §6307-40 GC, they must be irreconcilable. There must be an impossibility of operating in the same situation and there is no such impossibility,

Notwithstanding, the flashing yellow lights, some specific rules must control in intersections, unless they are excluded *281 from the reign of law altogether. Sec. 6307-15 GC, at most establishes the rule of reasonable care, long since rejected as inadequate. And the-General Assembly has always regarded it as entirely practical to superimpose a specific statutory rule upon a common law foundation. Indeed, the various codes and restatements of the law have demonstrated the impracticability of doing otherwise.

It is our opinion that the trial court was wrong in his conclusion as to the exclusive operation of §6307-15 GC, and, therefore, prejudicial error was committed in refusing to give the special charges and in charging generally on that assumption.

(2) The court refused to charge on contributory negligence as requested by the defendant in a special charge and that is assigned as error.

The plaintiff was sitting beside the driver of the automobile in which she was riding. She was nearer the defendant’s approaching trolley bus than the driver and she testified that she watched this bus approach and enter the intersection and collide with the automobile in which she was riding, without doing anything by way of warning or otherwise to avoid it. She also was conscious that the automobile in which she was riding was approaching the point of collision in the path of the defendant’s trolley bus. '

Of course, a guest has no immunity from the consequence of failure to exercise ordinary care under the circumstances. 5 Am. Jur., 889. And, we think, the evidence presents an issue of fact as to whether the plaintiff’s conduct satisfied that standard. But that is not the question presented by this record. It is not whether a charge on the subject of contributory negligence was appropriate, but whether the charge submitted by the defendant presented a correct statement of the law on the subject. That special charge was:

“Special Charge No. 5. The court charges you that the plaintiff, as a passenger in the automobile, was required to exercise ordinary care for her own safety and to reasonably use her faculties ,of sight and hearing to observe and avoid the dangers incident to crossing the intersection of Chase and Kirby Avenues, and, if you find that she failed so to do and that such failure directly contributed in the slightest degree to the. cause of her injury, then the plaintiff cannot recover and your verdict must be for the defendant, the Cincinnati Street Railway Company.”

Counsel relies on Hocking Valley Ry. Co. v.

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Bluebook (online)
62 N.E.2d 380, 75 Ohio App. 482, 43 Ohio Law. Abs. 277, 31 Ohio Op. 281, 1943 Ohio App. LEXIS 599, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/langdon-v-cincinnati-street-railway-co-ohioctapp-1943.