McIntosh v. Union Pacific Railroad

22 N.W.2d 179, 146 Neb. 844, 1946 Neb. LEXIS 34
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 1, 1946
DocketNo. 31987
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 22 N.W.2d 179 (McIntosh v. Union Pacific Railroad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McIntosh v. Union Pacific Railroad, 22 N.W.2d 179, 146 Neb. 844, 1946 Neb. LEXIS 34 (Neb. 1946).

Opinion

Messmore, J.

This is an action at law to recover damages to plaintiffs automobile, and for personal injuries sustained by her in a collision between such automobile and a train owned and operated by defendant.

The plaintiffs petition, for the purpose of determining this appeal, alleged substantially that the collision and damages proximately resulted from the negligence of the defendant, caused by: (1) Placing and maintaining on yard tracks, composing a part of the crossing, box cars and coal cars obstructing the view of this plaintiff and other motorists from seeing trains coming from the west, and by failing to remove the box cars and coal cars so stationed on the yard tracks prior to the arrival of a passenger train coming from the west and proceeding east, so that plaintiff’s view of the oncoming passenger train would not be obscured; (2) failing to warn the plaintiff, and negligently failing to-blow a whistle or ring a bell continuously at 80 rods west of the intersection of the crossing and its tracks to warn the plaintiff of the approach of its train coming from the west, contrary to section 74-573, R. S. 1943; and (3) failing to stop the train coming from the west before it collided with plaintiff’s automobile, and in time to avoid striking; the plaintiff.

The amended answer of the defendant contained a general denial; admitted a collision occurred, but denied that the collision was due to any negligence on the part of the defendant; and alleged that the collision was caused by the negligence of the plaintiff.

The case proceeded to trial before a jury. At the conclu[846]*846sion of all the evidence the defendant moved for a directed verdict, for the reason the evidence is insufficient on which to base a cause of action in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendant, and for the further reason that the undisputed evidence shows plaintiff to be guilty of such contributory negligence as to bar any recovery against the defendant as a matter of law. The court sustained the motion. From the overruling of the motion for new trial, the plaintiff appeals, and predicates error on sustaining defendant’s mótion for a directed verdict as being contrary to the evidence and the law.

The established rule is that: “A motion for a directed verdict must for the purpose of decision thereon be treated as an admission of the truth of all material and relevant evidence submitted on behalf of the party against whom the motion is directed. Such party is entitled to have every controverted fact resolved in his favor, and to have the benefit of every inference that can reasonably be deduced from the evidence.” Roberts v. Carlson, 142 Neb. 851, 8 N. W. 2d 175; Parks v. Metz, 140 Neb. 235, 299 N. W. 643; Loudy v. Union P. R. R. Co., ante p. 676, 21 N. W. 2d 431.

In addition to the foregoing rule, it is necessary to bear in mind that: “Where the facts adduced to sustain an'issue are such that reasonable minds can draw but one conclusion therefrom, it is the duty of the court to decide the question, as a matter of law, rather than submit it to a jury for determination.” Loudy v. Union P. R. R. Co., supra. See, also, Witthauer v. Paxton-Mitchell Co., ante p. 436, 19 N. W. 2d 865.

The record discloses, by exhibit number seven received in evidence, that the crossing involved is what might be called the Willow Street crossing in North Platte, Nebraska. To the north of the crossing is Seventh Street, and south of the crossing is Front Street. The scale of the map is, one inch thereon equals 20 feet on the ground. Starting from the north, the crossing is constructed of concrete to within three feet of the standard wooden crossing, then the crossings across the rails are standard wooden crossings, and ly[847]*847ing in between axe asphalt blocks. This construction extends approximately 200 feet south to the C. & I. tracks. From the C. & I. tracks south to the industry tracks, and before completing the crossing- to Front Street, is concrete paving of an approximate distance of 120 feet, where it connects with brick paving. The street is 36 feet in width, and there is a sidewalk about 13 feet to the west of the west edge of the street pavement. The sidewalk is approximately five feet wide, extending north and south nearly the length of the crossing. Willow Street is intersected by 13 tracks of the defendant.

Exhibit number seven shows the distance from the center of the most northerly track, which is called the west belt track, south to the center of the eastbound main line to be 184 feet 8 inches. Proceeding south from the west belt track to the eastbound main line there are the following tracks: east belt track, east yard track number six, east yard track number five, east yard track number four,. east yard track number three, east yard track number two, westbound main line, eastbound main line. South of the eastbound main line is the old coach track and the C. & I. track. Exhibit number seven gives the respective distances between these tracks, which need not be set out in this opinion.

The record further discloses that on September 15, 1943, the plaintiff, at about 6:00 or 6:10' p. m., on a clear day and after visiting her son, was proceeding south across the Willow Street crossing, clriving her 1936 model LaFayette sedan. Before entering the crossing she looked both to the left and to the right. To her right, which would be. to the west, there were cars stationary on the yard tracks.; From the point where she entered the crossing south to yard -track number six, where some cars were stationed, is approximately 70 feet, which gave her a clear vision to the west, the terrain being practically level and there being no obstructions, at least until she arrived at yard track number six. She was driving at a rate of speed of 10 or 12 miles an hour. The box cars and coal cars to the west were in close proximity to the sidewalk, and were north of the main line [848]*848tracks which run east and west, the main line tracks being south of the center of the crossing. It is not clear by the evidence whether cars were stationed on all the yard tracks, that is, on east yard track number six and the three yard tracks south thereof, numbers five, four, and three. The fireman testified he believed cars were stationed on all of such tracks. The distance from east yard track number six south to east yard track number three is approximately 50 feet. From the point where she would pass the cars stationed on yard track number three, to the place of the collision, which is the eastbound main line, is a distance of 54 feet or more, where her vision to the west was uninterrupted. She did not see the train until it was upon her.

The train struck her car at the rear of the front seat, moved it across the crossing and in between the tracks, and turned it around so that it faced west. The engine of the train proceeding from west to east on the eastbound main Jine, before it was stopped after the impact, was across the crossing to the east, with the first car blocking the street, and the engine and tender of the train approximately 90 feet east of the east line of the crossing. At the time of the impact she had nearly cleared the eastbound main line. The right window of her car was down; her hearing and eyesig'ht were not impaired; and she heard no whistle or bell giving- her warning from the train approaching from the west and proceeding east.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
22 N.W.2d 179, 146 Neb. 844, 1946 Neb. LEXIS 34, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcintosh-v-union-pacific-railroad-neb-1946.