Strickland v. Pioneer Bus Co.

427 S.W.2d 347, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 3027
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 4, 1968
DocketNo. 15271
StatusPublished

This text of 427 S.W.2d 347 (Strickland v. Pioneer Bus Co.) 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
Strickland v. Pioneer Bus Co., 427 S.W.2d 347, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 3027 (Tex. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinion

BELL, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from a take nothing judgment rendered against appellants based on a jury verdict convicting Mrs. Strickland of contributory negligence. This is a case in which appellee’s bus ran into the rear of the Chevrolet Impala driven by Mrs. Strickland. The jury acquitted the driver of the bus of all acts of negligence charged except one. It found the bus was following Mrs. Strickland’s automobile too closely and this was a proximate cause of the collision. It found Mrs. Strickland reduced the speed of her vehicle at such time as a person of ordinary prudence would not have done so and this was a proximate cause of the collision.

While appellants attack each answer of the jury which acquitted appellee’s driver of negligence, the controlling issues here, [348]*348on the question of appellee’s liability, are whether the jury’s answers that Mrs. Strickland reduced the speed of her vehicle when an ordinarily prudent person would not have done so and this was a proximate cause of the collision, have any evidence of probative force to support them and, if they do, whether they are so contrary to the overwhelming weight and preponderance of the evidence as to be clearly wrong.

The evidence shows that the collision occurred on Reisner Street near or at its intersection with Washington Avenue. Reisner runs generally in a north-south direction south of its intersection with Washington. It does not continue north of Washington. Washington runs generally in an east-west direction. A signal light controls the intersection. A motor vehicle proceeding north on Reisner would turn either left on one of the three northerly lanes of traffic on Washington after crossing the three south lanes on Washington and proceed west, or it would turn right in one of the three southerly lanes of traffic on Washington and proceed east. Reisner has two lanes of traffic proceeding north and none proceeding south.

The collision occurred about 3 o’clock p. m. on October 13, 1964. The weather was clear and the streets were dry.

Mrs. Strickland testified she was proceeding north on Reisner. She was going to make a left turn on Washington. The signal light was turning to red facing her as she was half a block away. She then started putting her foot on the clutch; turned on her blinker light, and stopped. She was waiting and watching for the light to turn green. The next thing she remembers she was on the floor board of the car. Her car had been struck by something. She never saw what struck her but was told it was a bus. The next thing she remembers there was a policeman telling her he had to move her car. She testified the bus driver came up and asked her to sign a statement that she was not hurt. He told her, “The damn brakes went out.” She testified she was in pain, was crying and was hysterical.

On cross-examination Mrs. Strickland testified she felt sure she had the blinker light on because that was her practice when she was going to make a turn. The traffic light was still red when the bus hit her car. She activated the blinker light after she stopped. She testified that her testimony concerning what she did with regard to her blinker light was based solely on what was her usual practice. When she starts through an intersection after the light turns green, it is her custom to continue on through the intersection. She stated she gave no signal of her intention to either stop or suddenly reduce her speed just prior to the impact.

Mr. John Bales, one of the investigating officers, testified he and his partner received the call about the accident about 3:05 p. m. The police station was two blocks from the scene of the accident. On arrival he found the bus against the back of the automobile. After identifying the drivers of the vehicles, they continued their investigation. He did not take a signed statement from Mr. Stock-man, the driver of the bus, but his partner, Mr. Johnson, did. Mr. Stockman made no statement to him at the scene. The signal lights, which we have described, were working properly. On cross-examination, he testified the vehicles were either in contact or in very close proximity. There were no skids marks behind the bus. He estimated the damage to the Chevrolet to be $60.00. The car could be operated but it was moved by a wrecker because Mrs. Strickland had been taken to the hospital and there was no other way to remove it. He identified pictures of the bus in its location after the accident. He also identified a picture of the Chevrolet, but it had been moved onto Washington before the picture was made. The picture showed damage done to the Chevrolet on the left rear light and on the [349]*349left rear panel back of the door where, according to the bus driver’s testimony, some chrome had been pushed to within from 8 inches to a foot of the door. The pictures of the bus showed bending or denting of the front bumper about at its center and to the right of center.

Mr. Johnson, the other investigating officer, testified that after receiving the call at 3:05 p. m., he and his partner went to the scene, arriving at 3:14 p. m. He obtained the names of the drivers of the vehicles. He couldn’t recall whether the vehicles were in contact. He talked briefly to the bus driver and asked for a brief description of what occurred, and then proceeded to take measurements. Within less than five minutes after arrival at the scene he took a signed statement from the bus driver. He was at the scene (the statement was excluded on the objection that it was hearsay). The vehicles left no skid marks. At impact the back end of the Chevrolet was 23 feet from the intersection of Reisner with Washington. The front end would have been about even with the intersection. The Chevrolet was about 20 feet in length. He did not know the length of the bus. He estimated damage to the bus to be $5.00. He tested the brakes on the bus. The guage showed 100 pounds air pressure.

The deposition of Allen Stockman, the bus driver, was offered in evidence. He testified he had been following Mrs. Strickland’s car for some time. He was in no hurry. He thought the collision occurred about 3:30 p. m. Most of the time his bus was from 200 to 300 feet behind the Chevrolet, but the gap between them would be less from time to time. As they approached Washington he estimated he was about a bus length behind the Chevrolet. As he approached Washington he noticed the light was green. He was then about 200 feet away and the light was green all the way up to the time of the collision, he was pretty sure. “The light was green when we was just fixing to make the corner.” He was looking at the light. For about a block from Washington until the time of the collision he was about a bus length behind. He looked at the light just before he hit her. He did not see her stop. “The reason why, when she first it her brakes, in other words, I was watching her and the light, too, we were fixing to make a left-hand turn and the light was green.” She hit her brakes only one time. When she hit her brakes, he hit his. He stopped when he hit or bumped her car. He then looked at Mrs. Strickland and she was sitting under the steering wheel. He passed out some cards to passengers on the bus, and then looked up and could not see Mrs. Strickland sitting up. He got off the bus and went to the car. It was moving “just a little bit” and her foot was on the brake, but it was not holding. Mrs. Strickland was over in the right-hand side of the seat. Her car had been moved four or five feet by the impact. No skid marks were made by the bus. Immediately before the accident he was driving five or six miles an hour.

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Bluebook (online)
427 S.W.2d 347, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 3027, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/strickland-v-pioneer-bus-co-texapp-1968.