Steen v. Hunt

11 N.W.2d 690, 234 Iowa 38
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedNovember 16, 1943
DocketNo. 46332.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 11 N.W.2d 690 (Steen v. Hunt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Steen v. Hunt, 11 N.W.2d 690, 234 Iowa 38 (iowa 1943).

Opinion

Wennerstrum, J.

Plaintiff’s action is for property damage to his automobile, and also for personal injuries sustained by him, as the result of a collision between a truck operated by one of the defendants and plaintiff’s automobile. Plaintiff claims that the defendant driver ran into the rear of his automobile. The defendants denied any liability for the accident. Upon the trial of the case the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff. The defendants’ motion for a new trial and exceptions to instructions were overruled. They have appealed.

Highway No. 17, a paved road, runs north and south through Pocahontas county. The place of the accident involved in this litigation was at a point about a mile east of the town of Have-lock where the paved highway intersects a gravel road running east and west. A ballroom is located on the west side of Highway No. 17, to the south and west of the intersection to which reference has heretofore been made. There is an oil station to the north of the ballroom on the southwest corner of the intersection, and there is another oil station on the northwest corner of this intersection. The two oil stations are about 200 feet apart. *40 There bad been a previous accident earlier during the night of August 16, 1941, in which the appellant, John Hunt, Jr. had been involved. This first accident occurred about a mile and a half south of the two-oil-stations intersection. In this accident the Hunt ear had in some manner got into the ditch adjacent to the highway. Following this accident, Hunt had proceeded to the oil-station corner and there sought the assistance of the appellee in getting his car out of the ditch. He then went to the town of Mallard, where he obtained his father’s cream truck, and thereafter returned to the corner where the oil stations are located. The appellant drove the cream truck to the location of the first accident and the appellee, accompanied by an attendant at the north oil station, followed in his car. The location of the car and condition of the ground made it impossible for these persons to get the Hunt automobile out on the road. The evidence discloses that at the time of the first accident John Hunt, Jr. had lost his glasses. The parties then left this point, the appellee proceeding ahead north, and John Hunt, Jr., in the cream truck, followed. The appellee testified that before leaving the point where the Hunt ear was in the ditch he stated to the appellant that “we would go back to the north oil station” where he would then make out a report of the accident. Appellee further stated that John Hunt," Jr. said “all right.” The evidence shows that the appellee is a constable and that he was employed at the ballroom as a peace officer on the date of the accident which resulted in this litigation. This last accident occurred in the early morning of August 17, 1941.

The appellee’s version of the accident may be briefly summarized as follows:

He was driving on the right side of the paved highway, on the east side of the pavement and east of the black line. He stated he was struck by a truck driven by John Hunt, Jr. as he was traveling about ten or twelve miles an hour and when he was about opposite the south filling station and the ballroom. He testified that the cream truck driven by John Hunt, Jr. struck his car and that the right front fender and the right corner of the box on the Hunt truck struck the left rear corner of his car. He further testified that prior to the time of the collision the appellee had slowed down preparing for a turn into the north *41 filling station. The appellee testified that before slowing down he was driving about thirty miles an hour and that Hunt was driving about forty miles an hour. Appellee further states that at the time of the collision and impact he was jerked back and his head struck against the back and sill of the window and his head was injured. He further testified that the occupant of the car with him was thrown back in the rear of the ear. He stated that after the collision and impact his car went approximately 187 feet down the road while it was still on the highway and the pavement and then skidded to the northwest and went into the ditch on the west side of the road. He also further testified that the truck proceeded north after the impact and went into the ditch on the west side of the paving at a point north, of where the appellee’s car stopped. The appellee testified that John Hunt, Jr. stated after the accident, “I thought you had stopped,” and also stated, “I couldn’t see very good, I lost my glasses down at the dredge ditch at the other accident.”

On cross-examination the appellee testified:

“I didn’t make the signal with my hand for a turn at the time of the impact.”

He also stated that at the time his car was struck he “was not about to make a left turn” and “at the time of the impact I was driving north.”

The appellant John Hunt, Jr. gave a different version of the accident than that given by the appellee. He testified that the appellee did not say to him that “we would meet at the D-X station to make out a report.” The appellant John Hunt, Jr. testified that the appellee, said that he would make out a report of the accident. He further testified that on leaving the scene of the first accident he, the appellant, proceeded toward his home (which would be toward the north), that he gained on the car, the light of which showed ahead, and that he was behind that car as it approached the intersection at the ballroom corner. He stated the appellee’s ear passed the intersection, then slowed down and its red stop light and taillight came on. As it slowed down he testified he was about 100 yards behind it. He then-proceeded to pass the car as it was almost stopped still on the right-hand side of the road, and as he attempted to pull around *42 this car it suddenly turned over to the left-hand side of the road without any warning or any hand signal. He further stated that he pulled his truck on around to the left to avoid hitting it, if possible, but that the collision took place west of the center of the highway and opposite the north drive of the north oil station. He further stated that the way the cars came together was that they both turned to the left and it was a sideswipe. Appellant Hunt, Jr. denied that he struck appellee’s car opposite the south oil station and said he did not cause it to go 187 feet north from the point of the collision. It is thus apparent from the testimony of these two men that there is a pronounced difference between them as to where and how the accident occurred.

The facts as heretofore set forth substantially describe the two versions of the accident. The appellants assert that certain errors were committed by the trial court in its instructions and that by reason of the fact that the court overruled appellants’ motion for a new trial and exceptions to instructions there should be a reversal in this case. We shall hereafter give consideration to certain of the- alleged errors of which appellants make complaint.

I. One of the grounds of reversal upon which appellants place a great deal of stress is the claimed error in the giving of the court’s Instruction No. 19. This is a long instruction, the first part of which sets out in substance the law pertaining to the statutes (sections 502.5.04, 5025.05, 5025.07, 1939 Code of Iowa) in regard to the signal required in making a left-hand turn.

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

Related

Dorcas v. Aikman
126 N.W.2d 298 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1964)
Fischer v. Hawkeye Stages
37 N.W.2d 284 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1949)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
11 N.W.2d 690, 234 Iowa 38, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/steen-v-hunt-iowa-1943.