Pryor v. State

651 S.W.2d 22, 1983 Tex. App. LEXIS 4292
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 4, 1983
Docket05-83-00042-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 651 S.W.2d 22 (Pryor v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pryor v. State, 651 S.W.2d 22, 1983 Tex. App. LEXIS 4292 (Tex. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinion

PER CURIAM * .

Appellant raises seven grounds of error in his appeal from a conviction for failure to stop and render aid in violation of Tex.Rev. Civ.Stat.Ann. art. 6701d, § 38 (Vernon 1977) and art. 6701d, § 40 (Vernon 1977). The court assessed punishment at seven years in the Texas Department of Corrections. We affirm.

Defective Indictment

Appellant’s first five grounds of error complain that the trial court erred in denying his motion to quash the indictment. The indictment, in pertinent part, reads:

[appellant] was the driver of and in control of an automobile and while operating the said automobile did strike Janet Ruth Smith, with the said automobile and did thereby injure the person of Janet Ruth Smith, and the said [appellant], did then and there knowingly and intentionally fail to stop and render to the said Janet Ruth Smith all reasonable assistance, and did then and there knowingly and intentionally fail to stop and carry and fail to make arrangements for the carrying of the said Janet Ruth Smith, to a physician and surgeon and hospital for medical and surgical treatment which appeared necessary by reason of the said injury received as aforesaid.

Appellant’s timely filed motion to quash complained that the indictment failed to give proper factual notice concerning:

1.the nature and description of the injuries incurred by the complainant;
2. facts, which should have been apparent to appellant, to support the conclusion that complainant needed medical assistance;
3. to whom the need of medical assistance appeared necessary;
4. a culpable mental state as to appellant’s knowledge that any person had been struck; and,
5. the designation of particular location of the accident as required by Tex. Rev.Civ.Stat.Ann. art. 6701d, § 21 (Vernon 1977).

Appellant urges that he was entitled to receive notice of the above facts so that he could adequately prepare his defense citing Tex.Code Crim.Proc.Ann. arts. 21.03, 21.04 and 21.11 (Vernon 1966).

The elements of-an offense under article 6701d, § 38, the penal section of article 6701d, are:

1. a driver of a vehicle
2. involved in an accident
3. resulting in injury or death of any person
4. intentionally and knowingly
5. fails to stop and render reasonable assistance.

Steen v. State, 640 S.W.2d 912 (Tex.Cr.App.1982) (en banc). That part of section 40 under which appellant was indicted has similar requirements except that it requires a driver to render to any person injured reasonable assistance, including the carrying, or the making of arrangements for the carrying, of such person to a physician, surgeon, or hospital for treatment if it is apparent that such treatment is necessary.

The indictment set out all of the elements of the offense. Subject to rare exceptions, an indictment which tracks the words of the penal statute in question is legally sufficient. Phillips v. State, 597 S.W.2d 929, 934 (Tex.Cr.App.1980); Parr v. State, 575 S.W.2d 522 (Tex.Cr.App.1978). Appellant’s first three grounds complain that the indictment failed to adequately describe the nature of complainant’s inju- *24 ríes, failed to give notice of facts to support the conclusion that complainant needed medical assistance, and failed to reveal to whom the need of medical assistance appeared necessary. These grounds go to evidence relied on by the State which were not necessary for the State to plead. Phillips, 597 S.W.2d at 935.

Appellant’s fourth ground of error complains that the indictment failed to allege a culpable mental state as to appellant’s knowledge that anyone had been struck. The Court of Criminal Appeals in Goss v. State, 582 S.W.2d 782, 785 (Tex.Cr.App.1979), a case brought under article 6701d, sections 38 and 40, held that “the culpable mental state ... required for the offense of failing to stop and render aid is that the accused had knowledge of the circumstances surrounding his conduct (V.T. C.A., Penal Code Sec. 6.03(b)), i.e., had knowledge that the accident occurred.” Subsequent to the Goss decision the Court of Criminal Appeals found that an indictment that alleged that appellant “did then and there intentionally and knowingly fail to stop ... it being apparent that such treatment was necessary by reason of said injuries received” Williams v. State, 600 S.W.2d 832, 833 (Tex.Cr.App.1980) (emphasis added by the Court of Criminal Appeals) was sufficient to charge the offense of failing to stop and render aid. See also Abrego v. State, 596 S.W.2d 891 (Tex.Cr.App.1980). We find the indictment in the present case, being very similar to that in Williams, is sufficient to allege the required culpable mental state.

Appellant’s final attack upon the indictment urges that it failed to allege an element of the offense. Appellant argues article 6701d, § 21 requires the indictment to allege that the action took place on a public street or highway. Designation of a particular location is not an element of the offense as held in Steen, and we do not find that it was a fact necessary for the State to allege.

Accomplice Testimony

Appellant next complains that the trial court erred in denying appellant’s special requested instruction on the law of accomplice testimony. The testimony of witness, Dawn Danford, reflects that at one point after the accident she confessed to being the driver of the automobile involved in the hit and run. Further, she testified that she spent the entire day in question with appellant but did not call the police or aid in any way. This testimony, appellant contends, established that Danford was appellant’s accomplice and, therefore, the jury should have been charged thereon. We disagree.

In addressing a question similar to that presented the Court of Criminal Appeals has written:

An accomplice witness is someone who has participated with another before, during or after the commission of a crime .... One is not an accomplice witness who cannot be prosecuted for the offense with which the accused is charged ... A witness is not deemed an accomplice witness because he knew of a crime but failed to disclose of or even concealed it.

Carrillo v. State, 591 S.W.2d 876, 882 (Tex.Cr.App.1979) (citations omitted).

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651 S.W.2d 22, 1983 Tex. App. LEXIS 4292, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pryor-v-state-texapp-1983.