Sirmons v. Pittman

138 So. 2d 765
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedMarch 13, 1962
DocketC-432
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 138 So. 2d 765 (Sirmons v. Pittman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sirmons v. Pittman, 138 So. 2d 765 (Fla. Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

138 So.2d 765 (1962)

Robert SIRMONS, Jr., Appellant,
v.
Perry H. PITTMAN and Thelma A. Drummond, Appellees.

No. C-432.

District Court of Appeal of Florida. First District.

March 13, 1962.
Rehearing Denied April 4, 1962.

*766 Long, Butler & Nelson, Jacksonville, for appellant.

Mathews, Osborne & Ehrlich, Harvey Mabry, and Howell, Kirby, Montgomery & Sands, Jacksonville, for appellees.

STURGIS, Judge.

The appellant, Robert Sirmons, Jr., was plaintiff below in separate negligence actions, involving the same state of facts, against Perry H. Pittman and Thelma A. Drummond. On motion of defendant Pittman a summary final judgment was entered in his favor. Final judgment in favor of defendant Drummond was entered pursuant to verdict of the jury. This appeal is taken to review both judgments. The judgment in favor of defendant Pittman is affirmed. The judgment in favor of defendant Drummond is reversed and the cause remanded for a new trial.

These suits grow out of an automobile accident in which an automobile operated by defendant Pittman collided with an automobile operated by defendant Drummond, resulting in the death of Flora Smith Sirmons, plaintiff's wife, who was a guest passenger in the car driven by defendant Drummond. The suit against defendant Pittman, for damages arising from the death of Mrs. Sirmons, is predicated upon the alleged simple negligence of said defendant. The *767 companion suit against defendant Drummond, under the Guest Statute, is predicated upon the alleged gross negligence of said defendant.

Re Pittman Judgment

The point for determination in the appeal involving defendant Pittman is whether on the depositions, affidavits, and evidentiary matters before the court on defendant's motion for summary judgment, there existed a genuine issue as to a material fact requiring the case to be submitted to the jury. The uncontested proofs before the court on said motion reflect:

Plaintiff's wife met her death as the result of a collision between automobiles operated by defendants Pittman and Drummond, she being a guest passenger in the latter. The time was early on a Sunday afternoon. The day was cloudy but the pavement was dry. Defendant Pittman was driving his Ford sedan northerly in his proper lane of traffic on two-laned Blanding Boulevard, at a point near to but outside the city limits of Jacksonville, Florida, and in an area in which the permissible speed limit was 45 miles per hour. His wife and son were passengers therein. As he approached the intersection of Blanding Boulevard with 118th Street, where there was an overhanging caution light, he reduced his speed from approximately 40 mph to between 30 and 35 mph, which he maintained as he passed through the intersection and until, in apprehension of an impending accident involving an automobile driven by defendant Drummond, who was approaching from the north in the opposite lane of travel, he applied his brakes and skidded directly ahead a distance of approximately 60 feet, where his automobile collided with the right side of the automobile driven by defendant Drummond, which had rapidly skidded over from the southbound into the northbound lane of traffic immediately ahead of the Pittman automobile.

The reason assigned by defendant Pittman for anticipating an accident and applying his brakes was that when he had passed through the intersection and had arrived at a point about even with the front end of the second of four cars which were facing south in the same lane of travel of the Drummond automobile and had either come to a stop or were in process of doing so in obedience to a signal of the leading car of intent to turn to its left at the intersection, he observed the Drummond vehicle approaching at a point approximately 55 yards north of his position at what he estimated to be a speed of 55 to 60 mph, and believed that the Drummond vehicle so traveling would become involved in an accident. Upon applying the brakes his automobile skidded straight ahead a distance of approximately 60 feet where three to four seconds later it collided with the Drummond vehicle which in the meantime had crossed over from the opposite lane of travel directly into his path. Pittman took no other action to avoid the collision, which took place entirely in his lane of traffic.

According to defendant Drummond's deposition, as she approached the intersection from the north, going south, she was following a Volkswagen which was about four lengths ahead, and was traveling at a speed of 35 to 40 mph; she observed the yellow intersection light and continued to maintain that speed; a car ahead of the Volkswagen, which was fourth in line (hers being the fifth), came to a stop to make a left turn at the intersection, and when the Volkswagen came to a stop back of it she applied her brakes, started skidding, felt a pull to the left, then skidded over into the opposite (north) lane, where she collided with the Pittman automobile; she had no idea of where her car was located in relation to the Volkswagen when it skidded into the north traffic lane; and she estimated her speed at time of impact as 35 mph. There is no competent testimony from which to conclude that the movement of the Drummond vehicle into the northbound lane of traffic was occasioned by any mechanical defect. The deposition of a State Patrolman located the point of impact two feet from the east edge of Blanding Boulevard.

*768 It is appellant's contention that the speed of defendant Drummond's vehicle as it approached the scene of the accident presents a genuine issue upon a controverted material fact. He points to Mrs. Drummond's deposition that her speed was 35 to 40 mph as contrasted with Mr. Pittman's deposition that her speed was 55 to 60 mph. This argument is unsound for the reason that the uncontradicted proofs reflect that irrespective of the speed of the Drummond automobile, defendant Pittman was not guilty of any negligence whatever proximately contributing to the death of Mrs. Sirmons. In so holding we take note of appellant's further contention that since Pittman's automobile left a 60-foot skid mark in a direct path down its lane of traffic, indicating that other than to apply the brakes he took no action to evade the collision, a jury question results as to whether he was negligent in failing to take other action to avoid the accident. We find nothing in the proofs to bring into play the so-called "last clear chance" doctrine which in this case could only be predicated on the theory that defendant Pittman should have anticipated that Mrs. Drummond would drive her vehicle into his lane of traffic and that he thereafter had a reasonable opportunity to avoid the accident and negligently failed to do so. The trial court did not err in entering summary final judgment in favor of defendant Pittman and that judgment is is affirmed.

Re Drummond Judgment

The suit against defendant Drummond was tried before a jury. At the close of all the evidence the court denied motions of the respective parties for directed verdicts. The evidence before the jury reflected substantially the same facts as hereinabove recited in connection with the Pittman case. However, in addition thereto, Mrs.

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Bluebook (online)
138 So. 2d 765, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sirmons-v-pittman-fladistctapp-1962.