Wander v. Brady

105 N.W.2d 86, 252 Iowa 183, 1960 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 718
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedSeptember 20, 1960
Docket49985
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 105 N.W.2d 86 (Wander v. Brady) 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
Wander v. Brady, 105 N.W.2d 86, 252 Iowa 183, 1960 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 718 (iowa 1960).

Opinion

Thornton, J.

This is an intersection collision case. The collision occurred about 9 a.m. on July 4, 1958, at the intersection of Alleman and Slater Roads in Polk County. The intersection is 3% miles west of Alleman and four miles south of Slater. Alleman Road runs east and west. Slater Road runs north and south. Both roads were surfaced with gravel and each fairly level at the intersection; south of the intersection on Slater Road is a slight incline. There were no stop signs at the intersection. Plaintiff, with his wife and two children, was *185 driving west on Alleman Road. Defendant, accompanied by his mother, was traveling north on Slater Road. The collision took place near the center of the intersection, the front of defendant’s northbound car coming in contact with the left rear of plaintiff’s westbound car. Plaintiff brings this action to recover for personal injuries and damage to his car. Defendant in his counterclaim asks for damages to his car.

The case was submitted to the jury and a verdict finding neither party entitled to recover returned. Plaintiff appeals, urging three propositions for reversal.

I. We will consider first plaintiff’s proposition the court erred in admitting in evidence a resolution of the Board of Supervisors of Polk County and in giving an instruction based thereon.

Defendant offered in evidence Exhibit A, a photostatic copy of a resolution of the Board, certified in the name of the auditor by his deputy with the seal affixed. The resolution provided, in part: “* # * the following described highways shall be declared ‘through highways’ and all intersections of such ‘through highways’ shall be declared stop intersections, * * #: Slater Road, from Alleman Road at SW cor. Sec. 17-81-24 north 3 miles to the Story County line.”

Plaintiff stipulated to the identification of Exhibit A. His objection in pertinent part is: “* * # for the reason that the same is irrelevant and immaterial and no proper foundation has been laid * * *. With the state of the record as it presently exists it has no significance or probative value for the purpose of proving anything. * *

If we understand plaintiff’s position completely he concedes Exhibit A is properly identified and admissible pursuant to section 622.60, Code of Iowa, 1958, which provides:

“The public seal of the state or county, affixed to a copy of the written law or other public writing, is admissible as evidence of such law or writing, respectively.”

His objection is the resolution of the Board is not sufficiently connected with the intersection and the court should not take judicial notice the southwest corner of Section 17-81-24 coincides with the center of the intersection of Slater Road and Alleman Road.

*186 If the resolution is connected with the intersection the court was correct in taking judicial notice of the Section corner and the center of the intersection. Plaintiff, defendant and witnesses for each party, all living in the vicinity, refer to the east-and-west road as the Alleman Road, the north-and-■south road as the Slater Road.

A highway patrolman called by plaintiff testified, “* * * on the fourth day of July, 1958, my duties included covering an accident four miles west of the little Town of Alleman, and four miles south of another town known as Slater. * * His other testimony conclusively shows he is referring to the accident intersection.

Dr. Wayne L. Severson, called by plaintiff, testified, “* * * 1 first saw him on that particular day four miles south of Slater at an intersection at the scene of an automobile collision. * *

Harold Alleman, called by plaintiff, testified, “* * * Exhibit 2 is the intersection where the accident occurred. That is 3% miles west of Alleman with the Slater Road.”

Plaintiff testified: “* * * The gravel road going west * * * intersects the Slater Road approximately 3% miles west of the Town of Alleman.”

Without reference to the names of the roads the intersection is located by the witnesses as 3% miles west of Alleman and four miles south of Slater. The resolution not only uses the names as used by the witnesses, persons living in the immediate vicinity, but locates the north-and-south road by reference to the Section corner and three miles north to the Story County line. We can find no basis upon which to hold there is no connection between the testimony as to the location of the intersection and the resolution. The only step left to take in ascertaining the fact they refer to one and the same road (Slater) and the same intersection, the center of which is located at the southwest corner of Section 17-81-24, is to look at the map. The identity of the road and the location of the center of the intersection and the Section corner are geographical facts capable of immediate ascertainment and proper subjects for judicial notice.

This court has held it is proper to take judicial notice *187 of geographical facts in each of the following cases: In Haines v. Board of Supervisors of Pottawattamie County, 243 Iowa 566, 52 N.W.2d 699, that the town of Carter Lake lies west of the Missouri River but within the State of Iowa. In Minnesota Valley Canning Co. v. Rehnblom, 242 Iowa 1112, 49 N.W.2d 553, an accident that occurred one mile west of Vinton is in Benton County and not in Story County. In Main v. Ellsworth, 237 Iowa 970, 23 N.W.2d 429, as to the location of the towns of Fairfax and Paris in Linn County and that Central City is about five miles from Paris. In Bahner v. City of Des Moines, 230 Iowa 13, 296 N.W. 728, that it’ is a matter of common knowledge the city of Des Moines embraces 56 square miles. In Fogg v. Holcomb, 64 Iowa 621, 21 N.W. 111, that Township 78 North, Range 32 West of the Fifth Principal Meridian is situated in Guthrie County. In Wright v. Phillips, 2 (Greene) Iowa 191, and Hypfner v. Walsh, 3 (Greene) Iowa 509, that United States Government surveys are public and within the judicial knowledge of all our courts.

The geographical facts in these eases as well as in the instant case are as stated in 9 Wigmore, Evidence, section 2571(3), “* * # capable of such instant and unquestionable demonstration, if desired, that no party would think of imposing a falsity on the tribunal in the face of an intelligent adversary.”

The resolution was properly admitted. And the instruction, stating Slater Road from the center of the intersection with Alleman Road north was a through highway, was proper and based on the evidence.

II. The situation presented by the resolution commencing a through highway in the center of the intersection is at least unusual. Such a situation should not again confront motorists in this State.

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
105 N.W.2d 86, 252 Iowa 183, 1960 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 718, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wander-v-brady-iowa-1960.