State v. McNaught

713 P.2d 457, 238 Kan. 567, 12 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1890, 1986 Kan. LEXIS 252
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedJanuary 17, 1986
Docket58,052
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 713 P.2d 457 (State v. McNaught) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. McNaught, 713 P.2d 457, 238 Kan. 567, 12 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1890, 1986 Kan. LEXIS 252 (kan 1986).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Prager, J.:

This is a direct appeal by the defendant, Dr. Thomas R. McNaught, from jury convictions of vehicular homicide (K.S.A. 21-3405), a class A misdemeanor, and driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) (K.S.A. 1984 Supp. 8-1567), a class A misdemeanor. The defendant was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter (K.S.A. 1984 Supp. 21-3404), leaving the scene of an injury accident (K.S.A. 8-1602), failure to render aid (K.S.A. 1984 Supp. 8-1604), and failure to report an injury accident (K.S.A. 1984 Supp. 8-1606). Following the convictions, the trial court imposed sentences on each count and the defendant appealed.

This case arose out of a tragic automobile accident which occurred on July 29, 1984, at about 8:32 p.m. on Northwest 46th Street north of the city of Topeka in Shawnee County. Just prior to the accident, Kathleen (Kathy) Bahr was riding a bicycle in a westerly direction. The bicycle was struck in the rear by an automobile driven by the defendant in a westerly direction on 46th Street. The evidence showed that, following the impact, Kathy Bahr’s body struck the hood of defendant’s vehicle, breaking the right side of the windshield, and she was then thrown over the back of the car. The bicycle became attached to *569 the front side of the defendant’s vehicle. Defendant testified that, just prior to the accident, he had stopped at 46th Street and Rochester Road and then proceeded west on 46th Street with his cruise control set at 50 to 55 miles per hour which was within the posted speed limit. He testified that looking ahead he could see no objects when suddenly there was a bang on his windshield. He thought that someone must have thrown a rock or brick at his car and he did not want to stop three or four miles from home on a dark highway. It reminded him of a previous experience he had had in 1958 when a rock was dropped from an overpass onto his car as he was driving. Dr. McNaught felt that he should go home and report the occurrence to the police. He kept driving and watching the fracture move across the windshield. He was beginning to think he should stop when he saw a patrol car’s red lights in his rear view mirror. Defendant then stopped his car and remained inside until instructed by Deputy Sheriff Jeff Ritchie to open the car door.

Deputy Ritchie testified that he first observed defendant’s vehicle on 46th Street with its bright lights on, traveling at a high rate of speed and emitting sparks from under its right side. The officer flashed his bright lights on and off but received no response from the oncoming vehicle. Ritchie continued to notice the sparks as the vehicle passed. Ritchie then turned his car around and pursued the vehicle. He caught up with it approximately one mile down the road. The vehicle stopped in the middle of the roadway without pulling over to the shoulder. Defendant asked the officer what the problem was. The officer looked at the defendant’s vehicle and noticed a smashed windshield covered with blood and hair. Officer Ritchie showed the defendant a bicycle which had fallen from underneath defendant’s car as it hit a bump just before it came to a stop. The defendant said that someone had thrown a brick at his vehicle approximately one mile back.

Shortly thereafter, Trooper Thomas Wilson of the Kansas Highway Patrol arrived at the scene to assist Ritchie. Trooper Wilson noticed that defendant’s eyes were watery and bloodshot, and that he was swaying when walking. The trooper noticed a mild odor of alcohol on defendant’s breath. Trooper Thomas Wilson gave the defendant a horizontal gaze nystagmus test. Trooper Wilson then placed defendant under arrest for driving *570 under the influence of alcohol. Wilson thereafter turned defendant over to Sergeant William Hudson of the Shawnee County Sheriff s Department who took defendant to the courthouse and performed a breath alcohol intoxilyzer test which tested .136 percent blood alcohol.

The defendant was charged by Sgt. Hudson with driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to render aid at an injury accident, failure to report an injury accident, and leaving the scene of an injury accident. Later, after Kathy Bahr died, defendant was charged in the complaint with involuntary manslaughter (K.S.A. 1984 Supp. 21-3404) in addition to the charges already made by Sgt. Hudson. Further facts will be provided in the discussion of points raised on the appeal.

The case was tried to a jury in Shawnee County District Court. The evidence presented by the parties was highly conflicting. Defendant testified, in substance, that from 4:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. he and a friend had consumed three highballs, each consisting of one and one-half ounces of bourbon, ice, and Tab. Dr. McNaught and the friend then sat down to dinner at 6:30 p.m, during which Dr. McNaught drank a four ounce glass of red wine. Dr. McNaught’s dinner companion left the house at 7:00 p.m. He testified that Dr. McNaught had no trouble walking or talking and displayed no effect of the alcohol at that time. Dr. McNaught testified that he had nothing else to drink after his friend left, and he then sat down to read a book. At around 8:30 p.m. he became hungry for something sweet. He drove to Sutton’s North Plaza where he purchased two bags of candy and returned to his car. He experienced no difficulty in walking, talking, paying for the candy or driving his car. Dr. McNaught then proceeded to drive his vehicle proceeding home on 46th Street and the collision occurred.

There was evidence presented by defendant that the drivers of two other vehicles traveling on 46th Street had barely avoided striking the bicycle and had to suddenly turn aside in order to avoid a collision. The defendant also presented expert testimony that Kathy Bahr possibly had been struck by another automobile as she lay on the pavement after the collision with Dr. McNaught’s vehicle.

The case was tried in a highly professional manner by able counsel for both sides and was submitted to the jury. The jury *571 acquitted Dr. McNaught of the felony charge of involuntary manslaughter, leaving the scene of an injury accident, failure to render aid, and failure to report an injury accident. It found defendant guilty of vehicular homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol, both misdemeanors. Defendant filed a motion for a new trial which was denied. The court then sentenced defendant, and he filed a timely appeal. Defendant in his brief on appeal raises 13 separate points involving claimed errors at the pretrial and trial stages and in the imposition of sentence.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Pepper
539 P.3d 203 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2023)
State v. Harris
486 P.3d 576 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2021)
State v. Perez-Marquez
Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2020
State v. Galloway
459 P.3d 195 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2020)
State v. Bailey
Supreme Court of Kansas, 2017
State v. Reed
352 P.3d 530 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2015)
Simpson v. State
447 S.W.3d 264 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2014)
State v. Alderson
322 P.3d 364 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2014)
State v. Cox
304 P.3d 327 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2013)
State v. Rochelle
298 P.3d 293 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2013)
State v. McCullough
270 P.3d 1142 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2012)
State v. Barnes
251 P.3d 96 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2011)
State v. Ulate
219 P.3d 841 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2009)
State v. Dayhuff
158 P.3d 330 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2007)
State v. Lord
128 Wash. App. 216 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2005)
State v. Post
112 P.3d 116 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2005)
State v. Davis
61 P.3d 701 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 2003)
State v. Speed
961 P.2d 13 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1998)
State v. Alston
887 P.2d 681 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1994)
Phillpot v. Shelton
875 P.2d 289 (Court of Appeals of Kansas, 1994)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
713 P.2d 457, 238 Kan. 567, 12 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1890, 1986 Kan. LEXIS 252, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mcnaught-kan-1986.