Strange v. Colvin

429 S.W.2d 954, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2643
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 19, 1968
Docket11612
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 429 S.W.2d 954 (Strange v. Colvin) 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
Strange v. Colvin, 429 S.W.2d 954, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2643 (Tex. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinion

HUGHES, Justice.

Lonnie D. Strange, appellant, sued Joe C. Colvin for damages for personal injuries allegedly sustained by him November 1, 1966, as a result of a collision between two automobiles, one operated by each party, at the intersection of Lake Austin Boulevard and Deep Eddy Avenue in Austin, Texas. Generally, the facts are that appellant had traveled west on Lake Austin Boulevard to its intersection with Deep Eddy Avenue where he stopped with the intention of turning left from the inside lane into the Avenue when the eastbound traffic on the Boulevard permitted. Appellee’s car was headed south on the Avenue but he desired to go east on the Boulevard and, rather than turn his car around, he backed his car into the Avenue, his left rear bumper hitting the left front door of appellant’s car which had commenced its turn into the Avenue. The collision occurred at a time when car lights were required to be on.

Trial was to a jury which made findings that both parties were guilty of negligent conduct proximately causing the collision. No question is presented with reference to findings unfavorable to ap-pellee. . Appellant’s first four points are that the jury findings that he was negligent in failing to keep a proper lookout which was a proximate cause of the collision are without any evidence to support them and that they are against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence.

The Boulevard, where it intersects the Avenue, has four traffic lanes, two east and two west. The inside lanes are 12 feet wide, the outside lanes 21 feet wide. The Avenue is about thirty feet wide and slopes to the south. There is a stop sign on the Avenue at this intersection.

Appellee testified that he did not see appellant’s car until the collision occurred; that he did not apply his brakes and that he backed into the street when it was not safe to do so. In fact, he was charged in Municipal Court with unsafe backing and pleaded guilty to this charge.

Appellant testified that when the eastbound traffic on the Boulevard cleared he commenced his left turn into the Avenue and that when he was at about the dividing line between the two eastbound lanes he noticed appellee’s car backing out of the Avenue and that, “I immediately slammed on my brakes and stopped and honked my horn, and at that time this other vehicle ran into my car.” When appellant began his left turn, he testified, appellee’s car “had not moved at all.”

Appellant’s testimony that he was stopped when his car was hit is confirmed by undisputed evidence that the damage to his car showed no scraping marks such as would have been likely had his car been in motion.

Appellee testified that appellant “was partially at fault for not warning me he was there.” As indicated, appellant testified that he did give warning. The jury answered “No” to the issue inquiring if appellant “failed to give an audible signal with his horn which could have been heard under normal circumstances.”

Appellee testified that he drove his car into the Avenue and stopped his car about two car lengths into it. This would place the rear of his car about one car length south of the intersection. An eyewitness, other than the parties, testified that she saw appellee’s car backing from a position on the Avenue about 15 to 20 feet from the intersection.

According to the testimony of appellee his car traveled more than two car lengths *956 from its stopped position on the Avenue to the point of impact.

Appellant gave the following testimony:

“Q When you first came to a stop, Mr. Strange, you were waiting to make this left turn and you have earlier told me that at this time you did not see Mr. Colvin, did you, sir?
A No, sir, I didn’t at the time I had stopped getting ready to make my turn.
Q You had not seen Mr. Colvin or the lights on his car?
A No, sir.
Q You were not looking in that direction, were you, sir?
A My main attention was out in Lake Austin Boulevard.
Q You were watching for the oncoming cars.
A Yes, sir.
Q When the oncoming cars passed, you commenced your left turn, didn’t you, sir?
A Yes, sir.
Q And when you commenced your left turn, you did not look and see Mr. Colvin at that time, did you, sir, and I’m talking about when you just commenced your turn?
A At the time I began my turn, I did not see Mr. Colvin’s car.
Q And you started from your stopped position at a time when you had not looked to your left and seen Mr. Colvin, isn’t that right?
A Yes, sir, that is correct.
Q * * * You now know, don’t you, sir, that Mr. Colvin had been at this location with his lights on and that after this same traffic had cleared that you had waited for, he started to back up. You now know that, don’t you, sir? You know that he backed up, in other words?
A Yes, I know that he backed up. I’m not saying that I was not aware of the fact that he was over there. As far as I was concerned, I was not really paying that much attention to his car. I might have been aware that he was there.
Q You weren’t paying any attention to his car, is that correct, sir?
A Yes, sir.
Q And you hadn’t seen it from the time that you first stopped and at the time when you first commenced making your turn?
A I was not aware of it, sir.
Q Well, you told me a moment ago that you had not seen it, is that correct ?
A Yes, sir.
* * ‡ * * *
Q Mr. Strange, you now know, don’t you, sir, that Mr. Colvin was backing up just prior to the time that the collision occurred?
A Yes, sir.
Q And even though you didn’t know it at the time you turned and didn’t know it at the time you were stopped, if you had of known it, that he was backing up, you would have remained stopped where you were, wouldn’t you, sir?
A Yes, sir, if I would have seen his car, I would have definitely stayed where I was.
Q You now know that at the time he had the lights on on his car.
A Yes, sir.
*957 Q If you had seen the lights on that car backing up, you wouldn’t have made the turn, would you, sir?
A No, sir.
******
Q And you now know, Mr. Strange, that if you had seen the lights on the car, you would not have made the turn, would you, sir ?

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Bluebook (online)
429 S.W.2d 954, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2643, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/strange-v-colvin-texapp-1968.