Layton v. Purcell

1954 OK 38, 267 P.2d 547, 1954 Okla. LEXIS 435
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedFebruary 2, 1954
Docket35840
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 1954 OK 38 (Layton v. Purcell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Layton v. Purcell, 1954 OK 38, 267 P.2d 547, 1954 Okla. LEXIS 435 (Okla. 1954).

Opinion

BLACKBIRD, Justice.

Defendant in error, widow and adminis-tratrix of the estate of Elmer Purcell, deceased, obtained a verdict and judgment against'plaintiff in error, as defendant, for damages said plaintiff sustained by reason of her deceased husband’s death when his automobile collided with defendant’s truck. .Defendant has perfected this appeal. The parties will hereinafter be referred to by their trial court designations.

The collision occurred at about 6:30 P. M., while the deceased was driving west and defendant was driving east on’ Highway No. 10, a gravel road west of Welch, Oklahoma. Plaintiff’s theory was that the collision was caused by defendant driving his truck on the wrong side of the road into the path of deceased’s oncoming auto, while under the influence of an intoxicant and without clearance lights burning on the front of the truck.

By a part of his evidence, defendant attempted to show that deceased died from a heart attack rather than from injuries received in the collision, and that at the time of the collision, he' was driving his car -at of across the center of the'toad, and that this, rather than defendant’s negligence, was- the cause of the accident. The evidence was in conflict on this and other questions including those of whether defendant was intoxicated and whether either or both drivers were violating rules of the road at the time of the collision. There being no living wit-1 ness to the collision, other than defendant, the jury’s conclusion was necessarily based to some extent on what was indicated by the position of the cars, road marks and other circumstances existing after the collision occurred. The witnesses who inspected the vehicles and the marks on the road after the accident were not in agreement as to their observations and the deductions to be drawn therefrom. One of these was Jim Carl, who was employed as a highway patrolman on the date of the accident and was called to its scene soon after it occurred. Apparently,- testimony was first elicited from him about two or three months previous to the trial. At the trial, he testified that he examined the scene *549 of the accident’and saw tire marks north of the center of the road and that these tire marks led to the rear of decedent’s car (where it apparently came into contact with defendant’s truck) thus indicating that the .decedent’s car was at all times on its proper side of the road. Thereafter, on cross-examination, defense counsel inquired of said witness as to how he testified on the first and above-mentioned occasion that he gave testimony pertaining to the case. The questions and colloquy which- followed between 'the witness, the court, defendant’s counsel, Mr. Rucker, and plaintiff’s counsel, ¡Mr. Wheatley, appear in the .case-made as follows: .

“Q. Were you sworn as a witness back in November,. please, Mr. Carl, just answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
* * * * * . ‡
“A. Yes sir.
“Q. I am going to ask you if this question was, asked you: ‘And were there any marks visible as to where- Mr. Purcell’s car — automobile, had traveled?’ You recall that question being asked? A. No sir.
“Q-. You recall you making this an-' swer, ‘No sir, there wasn’t.’- A: • No-sir.
“Q. You say that’s not true? Á. I am not saying it wasn’t definitely. I don’t remember, sir.
“Q. You don’t remember -it? A. That’s right.,
“Mr. Wheatley: Well now, if the Court please, I object, unless it is made certain whether or not they are talking about the marks made prior to the impact or after.
* * * , * , * *
“Mr. Rucker: He was asked the same question two months ago, he was asked here, and he says absolutely contrary.
“By the court: Well * * *
“Mr. Rucker: But was your recollection in November any better than it was no(w)f, Mr. Carl?
“By the Court: Let’s keep the record straight. Let’s read the question.
“Mr. Rucker: We are not asking this witness * * *
. “By the court: Well, I thought there was a question there about tracks being •there after the point of impact, wasn’t that in there?
“Mr. Wheatley: No ‘sir, that’s the reason why I- raised my objection, to fix what question there they were asking.
“Mr. Rucker: I will tell .you what I will do, I will have a transcript * * *
“Mr. Wheatley: Let’s see what the record said.
“By the court: That’s the whole point right there.
“Mr. Rucker: Read all of the .testimony from cross-examination.
“By the court: I don’t believe this is the same question.
“Mr. Rucker: No, if your Honor please, he testified a few months ago and, now about those visible marks.
“By the court: I don’t believe he did, I don’t know- — -the record shows that. I. remember it definitely. Of -course, the.record speaks for itself,-and you are entitled to have it, but I don’t think it should be — I don’t think there should be any mistake about it.
“Mr. Rticker: We will have a transcript — we will have it transcribed jiist so the Jury'can have it: read to them. Mr. Carl * * , *
“By the court: Ask the witness at this time.
“Mr. Rucker: Well, he-has-already answered it, Judge.
, “By .the cpurt-: Well, I don’t think so.
“Mr. Rucker: That puts in this witness’s mind ideas — -if you will read that, and have Mrs. Jennings transcribe, it, you will- see he swore exactly .opposite a few months ago as he did in this preliminary hearing.
“(Further proceedings out of the hearing of the jury.)
. “By ,the court:' Yes, but the Court * * *
*550 “Mr. Rucker: If your Honor please * * *
“By the court: Wait just a minute. I recall this witness’s testimony on direct examination, and the Court does-n’t recall any statement or admission with respect to any tracks made by the .Purcell car prior to the point of impact.
⅜ * * * ⅜ ⅜
“Mr. Rucker: I beg your pardon.
“By the court: And in your preliminary examination of this witness, the general question, after the question referring to the dual tires, you asked the witness the general question, and the witness asked whether before the point of impact, and you said, ‘Either before or after.’
. “Mr. Rucker: That’s right.

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Bluebook (online)
1954 OK 38, 267 P.2d 547, 1954 Okla. LEXIS 435, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/layton-v-purcell-okla-1954.