Lasley v. Crawford

228 Ill. App. 590, 1923 Ill. App. LEXIS 260
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedApril 24, 1923
DocketGen. No. 28,227
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 228 Ill. App. 590 (Lasley v. Crawford) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lasley v. Crawford, 228 Ill. App. 590, 1923 Ill. App. LEXIS 260 (Ill. Ct. App. 1923).

Opinion

Mr. Justice G-ridley

delivered the opinion of the court.

This is an appeal from a judgment against Philo L. Crawford for $8,000, entered June 10, 1922, by the superior court of Cook county, in an action for damages because of personal injuries received by plaintiff’s intestate in an automobile accident resulting in his death. The accident occurred about the middle of the afternoon of Sunday, March 27, 1921, at the intersection of Winthrop and Thorndale avenues in the City of Chicago. The action was commenced against Bernard F. Bolfe and Crawford as codefendants. The trial was had in April, 1922, resulting in a verdict of guilty as to both defendants and the assessment-of plaintiff’s damages at the sum of $8,000. Thereafter, on plaintiff’s motion, the suit was dismissed as to Bolfe and judgment was entered against Crawford alone.

Winthrop avenue is a north and south street, intersecting at right angles Thorndale avenue. The intersection is within a residence portion of the city. Immediately prior to the accident Crawford’s inclosed automobile, driven by his chauffeur named Ulbert, was moving north on Winthrop avenue on the east side of the street and approaching Thorndale avenue at a speed in excess of fifteen miles per hour. Inside the car Crawford and deceased were seated. At the same time a “ sport model” automobile, owned by defendant Bolfe and being driven by his fourteen-year-old daughter, Louise Rolfe, was moving west on Thorndale avenue and approaching Winthrop avenue at an excessive rate of speed. In this car, besides Louise Rolfe, were seated three companions, two boys and a girl. IJlbert, after he had entered the intersection of the two streets, attempted to pass in front of the oncoming Rolfe automobile and turned slightly towards the west, but some front portion of the Rolfe automobile came in violent collision with the right rear wheel of the Crawford automobile, causing the Crawford automobile to be propelled in a northwesterly direction, and it ran against and partially upon a third automobile, owned by Attorney G-eneral Brundage, which had been moving south on the west side of Winthrop avenue but had practically come to a standstill. The result of the two collisions was that the Crawford automobile “turned turtle” and Crawford and deceased were both injured, the latter so severely that he became and remained unconscious until his death at a hospital two days later.

Plaintiff’s declaration consisted of three counts. Subsequently an additional count was filed. It is alleged in all the counts that deceased was riding in Crawford’s automobile “at the invitation and with the consent of the defendant Crawford.” In the first and second counts and the additional count it is charged that Crawford, through his chauffeur, negligently and unlawfully drove his motor vehicle at a rate of speed greater than was reasonable, safe or proper, etc., and in excess of fifteen miles per hour, contrary to the statute. In the third count it is charged that Crawford, through his chauffeur, “negligently, carelessly and improperly ran, managed and operated his motor vehicle,” etc. In all the counts the defendant Rolfe is charged with having negligently and unlawfully consented and permitted his daughter to operate his motor vehicle when not accompanied by him or a duly licensed chauffeur, and it is alleged that his daughter, at the time of and immediately before the collision, negligently and improperly operated said automobile, and that deceased in his lifetime was an attorney at law, earning as such $7,500 per year, and left him surviving his widow, Margaret C. Lasley, and a child, Frank A. Lasley, Jr., his only next of kin, who have both been deprived of their means of support, etc.

On the trial plaintiff called as witnesses Louise Rolfe and the other three occupants of the Rolfe automobile. They testified at length as to the details of the accident, — the movements and speed of the Rolfe automobile, the movements and speed of the Crawford automobile, etc. Crawford testified in his own behalf as to the happening of the accident, and he called as witnesses Ulbert, his chauffeur, Harry Morris, driver of the Brundage automobile, and Joseph H. Stowell, who at the time was walking west on the south side of Thorndale avenue, immediately east of Winthrop avenue. As bearing upon the question whether the deceased at the time of the accident was riding in the Crawford automobile at the invitation of Crawford, much testimony was given. It appears that the Lasleys lived in the north part of the City of Evanston and the Crawfords lived at 5245 Winthrop avenue, Chicago, a distance away of about six miles. Crawford owned two automobiles, a small open roadster and a large inclosed automobile which was in the accident. One Charles S. Ellis was a brother-in-law of Frank A. Lasley. By previous arrangement between Ellis and Crawford, Mr. and Mrs. Ellis and Mr. and Mrs. Crawford called at the Lasley home early in the afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Ellis came in their automobile and Mr. and Mrs. Crawford in the small roadster — Crawford driving it. There was some talk about the party taking an automobile ride. The parents of Frank A. Lasley were present,.and some children, and there was not room for all in the two automobiles. Crawford volunteered to get his larger automobile. He communicated with his chauffeur, TJlbert, over the telephone, giving directions to bring the inclosed automobile to his (Crawford’s) home. He then called to his wife, who was upstairs, requesting her to accompany him on his proposed trip to his home and back. She did not immediately answer his calls and the result was that Frank A. Lasley got in the roadster with Crawford and they went to the Crawford home, where, after “waiting about ten minutes,” TJlbert came with the inclosed automobile, and they all started back therein to Evans-ton, Ulbert driving, and it was on this return trip that the accident happened. The evidence is conflicting as to whether Crawford, as he was leaving the Lasley home, asked Frank A. Lasley to accompany him on the trip to his home and back. Crawford testified that, about the time he called to his wife, “Mr. Frank Lasley jumped up from his chair and said, ‘Come on Crawford, I will go with you,’ and while saying this he went in the hall and got his cap and was out on the porch before I knew it. * * * He reached the car ahead of me and got in and went on with me down to my house. I did not ask him at any time to go along with me in the car. * * * After I decided to go with Mr. Lasley, I called to Mrs. Crawford and told her she needn’t mind, Frank was going with me.” On the other hand, Mrs. Sue B. Lasley, mother of Frank A. Lasley, testified: “I remember the Craw-fords and the Ellises coming in there on the day of the accident. * * * After they came in the house, Crawford remarked to my son, ‘I did not know your parents were with you, or I would have brought the larger car.’ They sat around there a few minutes and * * * Crawford went to the telephone and talked a while and came back. In the meantime, my daughter, Mrs. Crawford, and Mrs. Ellis had gone upstairs, and when hé came back from the telephone * * * he called to his wife three times. Then he turned to my son and he said, ‘Would you like to drive, down with me, Mr. Lasley?’ They wanted to go down for the larger car, and my son said, ‘Why certainly, Mr. Crawford,’ and they put on their hats and went out together.”

One of the contentions of counsel for Crawford is that Frank A.

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Bluebook (online)
228 Ill. App. 590, 1923 Ill. App. LEXIS 260, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lasley-v-crawford-illappct-1923.