Neal v. Weaver

220 So. 2d 751, 1969 La. App. LEXIS 5252
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 10, 1969
DocketNo. 7594
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 220 So. 2d 751 (Neal v. Weaver) 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
Neal v. Weaver, 220 So. 2d 751, 1969 La. App. LEXIS 5252 (La. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinion

MARCUS, Judge.

This is a suit for damages arising out of an intersectional collision which occurred in the city of Baton Rouge on February 19, 1966 at about one o’clock A.M. The intersection involved was Plank Road, a four-lane, north-south roadway and Choctaw Drive, a two-lane, east-west roadway. The intersection was controlled by a traffic signal which flashed red for Choctaw Drive and flashed yellow for Plank Road.

Plaintiff, Raful Neal, Jr., was the operator and owner of a 1955 Cadillac automobile and plaintiff, Harry Ranson, was a guest-passenger sitting in the front seat of said automobile. Mr. Neal was traveling north on Plank Road.

Defendant, Kenneth M. Weaver, age 20, was operating a 1960 DeSoto automobile which was owned by his father, defendant, Kenneth B. Weaver, and insured under a public liability insurance policy by defendant, New York Fire and Marine Underwriters, Inc. Mr. Weaver was traveling west on Choctaw Drive.

The Trial Judge rendered judgment in favor of the plaintiff, Raful Neal, Jr., and against defendants in solido in the amount of $2,930.46 and also in favor of plaintiff, Harry Ranson, and against the defendants in solido in the sum of $2,224.73. A sus-pensive appeal was taken by defendants only insofar as the judgment in favor of Raful Neal, Jr., is concerned. Answer to the appeal was filed by Raful Neal, Jr., requesting that the amount of the lower court’s award be increaseu to $3700.00.

Appellants in their brief and argument before this court do not contest the amount of the judgment fixed by the trial court, but contend only that the lower court erred in not holding the plaintiff, Raful Neal, Jr., to be guilty of contributory negligence.

Weaver testified that on the night of the accident, he had been in the company of a girl friend or acquaintance named Miss Jaime Blake who was a passenger in the front seat of his automobile at the time of the accident. He remembered driving around town, going to the Bengal Lounge on Highland Road for about twenty minutes, and then to his father’s apartment at 1201 North Foster Drive. Other than that, he did not recall anything about the accident; including the time it occurred, when he got on Choctaw Drive, his approach to the intersection, the speed he was traveling, or whether he was wearing his glasses or contact lenses at the time. He further testified that he did not remember seeing the car that struck him. He also did not recall whether or not he had had a beer that evening.

Miss Blake testified that she was a passenger in the Weaver vehicle, but that she was half asleep at the time of the accident. She did not recall how fast he was traveling or whether he had stopped at the intersection. She did recall going to the Bengal Lounge for about twenty minutes, and that both she and Mr. Weaver had one beer. • She remembered going by his parents’ apartment but was uncertain as to whether they had gone inside. She testified that she must have fallen asleep after they left the apartment. She did recall being picked up about 9:30 or 10:00 and, except for the aforesaid two stops, testified that they had been riding around all evening. She further testified that she did not think there was any obstruction to one’s vision coming north on Plank Road.

Neal testified that he slowed down as he approached the intersection and put his foot on the brake as he crossed the railroad track just before the intersection and then eased up to ’ the intersection. He claimed he was going about 10 or 15 miles per hour as he entered the intersection and [753]*753did not see the other vehicle until he got right into the intersection and was then struck on his right fender by the other car. He testified further that the other vehicle was going at a fast speed when he was hit and that his car was a total loss. The following testimony of Neal is significant:

Q. You were at least two lengths away from the intersection, weren’t you?
A. About two, I was about two lengths before I seen the car.
Q. From the intersection—
A. I was right up under the light when I, right up to the light just about when I saw the car.
Q. When you had your foot on the brakes, you were about two or three car lengths from the intersection, weren’t you?
A. I think about two car-lengths, yes, sir.
Q. And you were traveling about ten or fifteen miles an hour, weren’t you?
A. That’s right.
Q. So if you had seen that car you could have stopped right then, couldn’t you?
A. I imagine if I could have seen it I could have stopped.
(Tr. Page 94)

Harry Ranson was a passenger in the front seat of the Neal vehicle. He testified that they had been playing in a band at a club on North Street from 8 o’clock until about One A.M. He also claimed that they had had no drinks. He further testified that as Neal approached the intersection, he hit his brakes, slowed down and continued to slow down with his foot on the brakes as he went into the intersection. He testified further that Neal was traveling at a speed from 30 to 35 miles per hour prior to his slowing down at the railroad track, was moving at about 20 miles per hour when he went into the intersection, and about 15 miles per hour, at the time of the accident. He further indicated that he first saw the other vehicle at about 10 or 15 feet from the intersection and that he did not think there was anything to keep him from seeing the other car.

Carey E. Harper was the police officer who investigated the accident. He testified that upon arrival both vehicles were off the roadway. He further testified that according to the physical evidence, the point of collision was 14 feet west of the east parallel of Plank Road, 12 feet east of the center line of Plank Road, and 12 feet north of the south parallel of Choctaw Drive. He further testified that the front end of the Weaver car and the right front of the Neal vehicle were damaged. He estimated the damage to the Weaver car at $500.00 and to the Neal vehicle at $400.00. He also testified that there were no obstructions on the southeast corner of the intersection, and as far as he could recall, it was wide open. He also indicated that there were no skidmarks.

The Trial Judge, in his Reasons for Judgment concluded that Weaver did not stop in obedience to the flashing red light and that he was traveling at a rapid speed at the time of the collision. The trial court further found no negligence on the part of Neal for the reason that he was justified in assuming that cars traveling on Choctaw Drive would obey the flashing red light and for the further reason that if he had observed the approaching Weaver car sooner than he did, it is probable that he could not have brought his vehicle to a stop in time to avoid the accident.

After carefully reviewing the record, we concur in the finding of the trial court that Weaver did not stop for the flashing red light and that he was traveling at a rapid rate of speed at the time of the accident and was therefore negligent. However, we do not agree with the Trial Judge in his finding that there was no contributory negligence on the part of Neal.

The law with reference to a driver approaching a flashing red and yellow sema[754]*754phore signal is set forth in LSA-R.S.

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Bluebook (online)
220 So. 2d 751, 1969 La. App. LEXIS 5252, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/neal-v-weaver-lactapp-1969.