Young v. Blue Line Storage Co.

44 N.W.2d 391, 242 Iowa 125, 1950 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 357
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedOctober 17, 1950
Docket47684
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 44 N.W.2d 391 (Young v. Blue Line Storage Co.) 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
Young v. Blue Line Storage Co., 44 N.W.2d 391, 242 Iowa 125, 1950 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 357 (iowa 1950).

Opinion

*127 Hale, J.

In substance, the facts are as follows: The collision referred to was between a motor crane or dragline operated by plaintiff, Don Young, and a truck and semitrailer owned by the defendant, Blue Line Storage Company, and driven by its employee, Harry F. Lyons. The collision occurred when defendant’s driver undertook to pass plaintiff on the left as they approached an intersection. Plaintiff, who was driving the drag-line, sustained injuries. The jury returned a verdict for plaintiff in the sum of $15,000. Defendant’s motions to direct, for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, and for new trial were overruled. Both vehicles were proceeding west on U. S. Highway No. 30 about four miles west of Mechanicsville, Iowa. The point of collision was near or on the intersecting road and the accident took place while defendant’s vehicle was passing plaintiff on the left.

IJ. S. Highway No. 30 is a paved road running east and west. The intersection referred to is formed by a north-and-south county road made of rock and is one of the main traveled roads in the western part of Cedar County. Highway No. 30 was generally level to the east of the intersection for a considerable distance. There are no cornfields east of the intersecting road and the fields there were planted in beans. At a point approximately 1250 feet east of the intersection there was a sharp break in the grade, the highway sloping down to the east at that point into a hollow which continued to a point almost seven tenths of a mile east of the intersection where the grade was again elevated near the railway track at a point referred to as Hudacheek’s corner. „

Looking back from a point 250 feet east of the intersection at a height where the plaintiff was sitting, the decline of the grade was such that he would not be able to see a semitrailer of the height of the one driven by the defendant which would be farther east of the intersection than the driveway into Tom Cole’s house which was approximately 1250 feet east of the intersection. West of Tom Cole’s driveway were a gas station and an eating house at a cabin camp known, as “Uncle Tom’s Cabins” — the eating house being approximately 800 feet east of the intersection. The plaintiff in his testimony claimed the collision occurred in the approximate center of highway No. 30 *128 and directly north of the corner post at the southwest corner of the intersection.

On the morning of July 23, 1948, the plaintiff was driving the dragline on highway No. 30, intending to turn to the left into the intersection of the county road. According to his testimony, when he approached the top of the grade he estimated his speed at about twelve to fifteen miles per hour, and about fifteen miles per hour when he reached the top of the grade. He testified that as he proceeded west to the intersection he made observation to the rear to see' what vehicles were following him; that the first observation after he was over the top of the grade was possibly Tom Cole’s lunch stand, or a little farther west, at which point a colored semitrailer passed him, identified later-as a LaBelle van, which was one of three that were traveling near each other on the road and was the first car of the convoy- — the second of the three being defendant’s vehicle, and the third one was still farther back.

Testimony was offered that after this first vehicle passed plaintiff he made his next observation to the east when he was approximately 400 feet east of the intersection. Plaintiff testified that when this observation was made he saw no vehicle proceeding behind him. From that point the vehicle in the hollow was not visible. He testified that as he proceeded' west toward the intersection he looked again at a point approximately 250 feet east of the intersection- — at that time just seeing the top of what appeared to be a semitrailer coming up over the rise on highway No. 30 behind him. His testimony is that at that time and at the driveway of Tom Cole’s hou^p, approximately 1250 feet east of the intersection, and from there as he proceeded west, he made another observation to the rear when he was seventy-fiv-e or eighty feet east of the intersection — seventy-five feet east of the east line of the traveled north-and-south road, and that he again saw this semitrailer approaching from the -east in the neighborhood of 300 to 400 feet behind him. He further testified that as he proceeded from the point 250 feet from the intersection to a point seventy-five .feet east of the intersection he reduced the speed of his vehicle, the dragline, estimating that he was going eight to twelve miles per hour.

*129 According to his story, at a point approximately 250 feet east of the intersection he began signaling to indicate his intention to make a left turn with the dragline. Plaintiff gave this signal by extending his left arm horizontally, and kept his left arm so extended until he reached to get the wheel to make the turn to the left. He kept his arm out continuously until he was ready to make the turn and did not take his arm in until he was fifteen to twenty feet east of the intersection. He testified that when he looked in the rearview mirror at seventy-five feet back from the intersection the truck was at least 300 to 400 feet behind him; that he had plenty of time to make the turn, and that no- horn was sounded; he also made observation to ascertain whether any vehicles were approaching from the west and there were none, and the highway was clear at the time; that the vehicle he was driving was at all times on the right-hand side of the black line; that it was his intention to turn and that was the last of his recollection; that he did not believe he could have turned very much across the black line. He further testified that at the time of the collision, to the best of his knowledge, the front end of the machine was headed slightly to the southwest, the left rear wheel was on the right-hand side of the pavement, but as to the location of the right front wheel he did not know except that his intention was to turn and he was in the act of turning.

A witness who was following defendant’s van stated:

“The Lyons van and dragline collided about 60 feet east of the intersection. Then the van went over to his left just across the intersection, on across the intersection. He went off to his left and turned over. The dragline went off into the cornfield. As soon as they struck about 60 feet east of the intersection, the Lyons vehicle went off to his left and across the intersection and turned over. The collision occurred about the center line.”

After the collision plaintiff’s cigarettes and watch fob were found almost in the center of the intersection in the middle of the highway. This is, in substance, plaintiff’s story related on the witness stand. There was, of course, testimony to the contrary, especially as to his giving the signal by extending his *130 hand, which was denied by several witnesses. The jury, however, had this evidence before it and evidently believed it.

Much evidence was received regarding the condition of the two vehicles after the impact, and defendant refers to this evidence as showing the contradiction made by the physical facts to the testimony offered for the plaintiff.

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Bluebook (online)
44 N.W.2d 391, 242 Iowa 125, 1950 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 357, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/young-v-blue-line-storage-co-iowa-1950.