Thomasson v. Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Ry. Co.

157 S.W.2d 7, 203 Ark. 159, 1941 Ark. LEXIS 368
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedNovember 24, 1941
Docket4-6491
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 157 S.W.2d 7 (Thomasson v. Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Ry. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thomasson v. Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Ry. Co., 157 S.W.2d 7, 203 Ark. 159, 1941 Ark. LEXIS 368 (Ark. 1941).

Opinion

Humphreys, J.

This suit was brought by appellant against appellee in the .circuit court of Calhoun county -to recover damages in the snm of $3,000 for injuries to his automobile and himself in a collision occurring between the automobile and appellee’s train at the highway and railroad crossing in the town of Harrell, Arkansas.

The complaint was filed on the 24th day of January, 1940, and sets out fully- and in extemo all the facts connected with the collision, charges of negligence on the part of appellee and the injury to appellant’s automobile and himself and the extent thereof.

Omitting the caption, the complaint and the prayer thereof are as follows:

I.

“That he is and was at all times hereinafter mentioned a resident and citizen of Calhoun county, Arkansas.

“The defendant is and was at all times hereinafter mentioned a railroad corporation, duly organized under and by virtue of the laws of the state of Illinois, owning and engaged in the operation of the line of railway in and through the states of Illinois, Arkansas and other states, over which it is engaged in operating freight and passenger trains, carrying freight and passengers for hire. A portion of the line of railway owned and operated by the defendant did and does extend through Harrell and other points in Calhoun county, Arkansas.

II.

“Plaintiff states that on the 20th day of September, 1939, and at all times mentioned herein there was and is a certain street and highway, known as Arkansas State Highway No. 4, extending in an easterly and westerly direction through the main business part of said town of Harrell, Arkansas, and that said street and highway, at all dates herein mentioned, at a point within the limits of the said town of Harrell, was and is crossed, at grade, by defendant’s said line of railroad and railroad tracks which extend in a general northwesterly- and southeasterly direction through said town of Harrell, and which said street and highway is surfaced with blacktop, a dark slab extending across said 'town and over said railroad.

‘ * That at all times herein mentioned said street and highway, at and near the said street and highway crossing, was and is extensively used for traffic, both day and night, by all kinds of vehicles, including motor vehicles as well as pedestrians, all of which defendant has at all times well known.

‘ ‘ That on the- 20th day of September, 1939, at about the hour of midnight while it was very dark defendant, while operating its said line of railroad, had placed and left standing upon and along said railroad track and over and upon said street and highway, a train of freight cars, cpnsisting of dark colored cars, and then and there wrongfully, carelessly and negligently permitted said train to remain standing continuously upon said street crossing for a period of more than thirty minutes, so that said street and highway was completely obstructed and blocked to all traffic on said street and over said crossing, all of which defendant at all times then and there well knew.

‘ ‘ That while said street and highway crossing was so obstructed by defendant and been by it so obstructed continuously for more than thirty minutes as aforesaid and next before the time of the collision complained of herein, plaintiff, Otto Thomasson, not having any knowledge or information that said crossing was obstructed, was then and there in the act of driving and operating an automobile, in an easterly direction, along and upon said street and highway and approaching said street and highway crossing, and in so doing was in the exercise of due and proper care on his part, and had no warning or signal of any kind of said obstruction of said street crossing'so caused by defendant, and, by reason of the darkness of the night, the color of the highway, the dark color, condition and location of defendant’s said cars so obstructing said crossing, could not by the exercise of proper care on his part, and did not discover defendant’s said cars so obstructing said crossing until the said automobile, which plaintiff was driving, was too close to the defendant’s said train of cars so obstructing, to avoid collision therewith, and the said automobile, then and there being driven by plaintiff, came . violently, and forcibly in collision with, defendant’s said train of cars then and there standing upon and obstructing said street and highway crossing, and that by reason of such collision said automobile was completely wrecked, and plaintiff, Otto Thomasson, received the injuries hereinafter mentioned and sued for.

“Plaintiff states that said collision and plaintiff’s injuries so resulting were caused by and were the direct and immediate result of the several wrongful, unlawful, careless and negligent acts and conduct of defendant, its agents, servants, and employees as follows:

“First: The defendant, its agents, servants and employees, at the time and place aforesaid, wrongfully, unlawfully, carelessly and negligently failed to give any warning whatever by flagman, watchman, signal light or other device of the presence of said train of cars so standing upon and obstructing said crossing, or clear said crossing, as was its duty to do. ,

“Second: That defendant, its agents, servants and employees, then and there in charge and management of its railroad and train of cars at the time and place aforesaid, for a period of more than thirty minutes continuously and next before the time of said collision, wrongfully, unlawfully, carelessly and negligently permitted its said train of cars to stand upon and obstruct said street and highway crossing, thereby obstructing the traffic on said street and highway and over said crossing.

‘ ‘ Third: That at all times herein mentioned and for many years next prior to the 20th day of September, 1939, the defendant well knew that said street crossing, at all times, both day and night, was extensively used for travel by persons driving motor vehicles and otherwise, and defendant at all times well knew of the danger and peril to travelers on said street, incident to and caused by the obstruction of said street crossing by defendant’s train of cars, and well knew that, in the exercise of ordinary care on its part, it was necessary to have at said street crossing a watchman, guard, signal light or other device to warn travelers, on said street and highway, of the said obstruction on said crossing and of the dangers- caused thereby, yet, notwithstanding such knowledge on defendant’s part, the defendants, its agents, servants and employees, at the time and place aforesaid, wrongfully, unlawfully, carelessly and negligently permitted said train of cars to stand and remain upon said street crossing for a period of more than thirty minutes continuously next before the time of the collision complained of herein, and thereby completely obstructing said crossing for such period of time, so that said crossing could not be used by travelers on said street and highway, without having any watchman, guard, signal light or other device to warn the plaintiff and other users of said street and highway, of the danger and peril so caused by such obstruction; and without cutting said train or making other provision for the safe passage of travelers over said street and highway crossing. ■

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Related

Hawkins v. Missouri Pacific Railroad
228 S.W.2d 642 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1950)
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179 S.W.2d 651 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1944)

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Bluebook (online)
157 S.W.2d 7, 203 Ark. 159, 1941 Ark. LEXIS 368, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thomasson-v-chicago-rock-island-pacific-ry-co-ark-1941.