Case Title: Goldman v. State

Citation: 406 So. 2d 816

Docket Number: 

State: mississippi

Court: Mississippi Supreme Court

Date: 1981-12-09T00:00:00Z

Document:
406 So. 2d 816 (1981) Kenneth GOLDMAN v. STATE of Mississippi. No. 52960. Supreme Court of Mississippi. December 9, 1981. *817 Watts & Bilbo, Pat H. Watts, Jr., Pascagoula, for appellant. Bill Allain, Atty. Gen., by Billy L. Gore, Sp. Asst. Atty. Gen., Jackson, for appellee. Before PATTERSON, C.J., and SUGG and LEE, JJ. LEE, Justice, for the Court: Kenneth Goldman was convicted in the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Honorable Robert T. Mills, presiding, on a charge of manslaughter by culpable negligence in the operation of an automobile, was sentenced to a term of five years with the Mississippi Department of Corrections, and, on this appeal, has assigned two errors in the trial below. The appellant first contends that the prosecution failed to prove the elements of manslaughter by culpable negligence and that the verdict of the jury was contrary to the law and the overwhelming weight of the evidence. The evidence favorable to the state reflects that on the morning of April 24, 1979, appellant awakened at approximately 5:00 a.m., prepared lunch, and left home for work in his four-wheel-drive pickup truck at approximately 5:45 a.m. He was proceeding along his usual route in a southerly direction on Mississippi Highway 613, which is a black-topped two-lane highway running generally north and south. On that morning, Gary Coleman, Richard Cochran and Sandra Crane (the deceased) were proceeding in a northerly direction on Mississippi Highway 613 and were going to pick up another friend for their senior trip to Gulf Shores. Sandra Crane was sitting on the passenger side of the front seat, Richard Cochran was sitting on the back seat and Gary Coleman was driving the automobile, a 1978 gray Plymouth. About one-tenth mile south of Big Point, Mississippi, Highway 613 inclines to the south and a solid yellow line is painted on the right center of the highway, indicating that vehicles traveling south may not cross into the east (northbound) lane of the highway. About 6:15 a.m., shortly before reaching the beginning of the incline and the solid yellow line, appellant overtook and passed a vehicle driven by Eva Roberts, *818 drove back into the southbound lane, and, approximately one hundred yards ahead of the Roberts vehicle, started to pass a pickup truck driven by Robert Cook. In doing so, appellant drove his truck around the Cook vehicle, crossed the solid yellow line and was driving in the northbound lane. His truck was about even with the cab of the Cook pickup truck when the car in which Sandra Crane was riding came over the hill crest, proceeding north in the east lane of the highway. Appellant applied his brakes, and, at the same time, Cook braked his own vehicle, trying to avoid the impending collision. Appellant drove off the pavement on the east shoulder of the highway and, in the emergency, Gary Coleman, driver of the Sandra Crane car, also drove over on the east shoulder. The vehicles collided and Sandra Crane was fatally injured, expiring at the scene. The weather was partly cloudy but fair, lighting was good and visibility was not hampered. Cecil Roberts testified to the following: Robert Cook testified: Appellant admits he crossed the yellow line but he thought he could see over the crest of the hill, since his pickup truck was higher than the normal vehicle. Appellant testified he was going fifty to fifty-five miles per hour and that, although his actions constituted simple negligence, he was not guilty of culpable negligence. The case of Dendy v. State, 224 Miss. 208, 79 So. 2d 827 (1955), has facts similar to the case sub judice. They follow: We recognize that this Court has construed culpable negligence to mean negligence evincing a reckless disregard for the value of human life and that each case must be considered on its own facts. Gandy v. State, 373 So. 2d 1042 (Miss. 1979); Lester v. State, 209 Miss. 171, 46 So. 2d 109 (1950), Cutshall v. State, 191 Miss. 764, 4 So. 2d 289 (1941). Under the established principle of criminal law, in considering motions for directed verdicts, requests for peremptory instructions of not guilty and contentions that the jury verdict is against the overwhelming weight of the evidence, we must consider as true all testimony offered by the prosecution, together with reasonable inferences, and if that evidence will support a verdict of guilty, the question is for the *820 jury to determine. Warn v. State, 349 So. 2d 1055 (Miss. 1977). In carefully reviewing the evidence in this case, and in applying that principle, we conclude that, upon such evidence, there was a guilt issue for the jury to determine, and that the verdict of the jury is supported by the evidence. Appellant next contends that the lower court erred by admitting into evidence the verdict of the coroner's inquest to establish the corpus delicti. The coroner testified that he viewed the body of Miss Crane and that, in his opinion, she died from internal injuries. Although he was permitted to testify about the procedure in the coroner's inquest, no verdict or documentary evidence was offered by the state, as in Blackwell v. State, 166 Miss. 524, 146 So. 628 (1933), Death of a victim and criminal agency may be established by circumstantial evidence and by reasonable inferences to be drawn from such evidence. Elliott v. State, 183 So. 2d 805 (Miss. 1966); King v. State, 251 Miss. 161, 168 So. 2d 637 (1964). In the case sub judice, Miss Crane, a young woman in her late teens, whom the record does not show suffered from any physical or mental impairment and who was beginning an outing with friends to Gulf Shores, Alabama, was riding on the right front seat of the vehicle which collided with appellant's truck. Physical evidence and photographs of the vehicles after the collision indicate that there was a terrific impact and that the right front side and passenger area of the vehicle were demolished. Immediately after the tragic accident, persons checked and viewed the body. They testified that Miss Crane's body was jerking, blood was running from her mouth, glass covered her face, she had quit breathing, and efforts by the ambulance attendants failed to revive her. The circumstantial evidence and inferences overwhelmingly established the cause of death resulted from the automobile collision and, if error was committed in the testimony of the coroner, which we do not decide, the same was harmless. There being no reversible error in the record, the judgment of the lower court is affirmed. AFFIRMED. PATTERSON, C.J., SMITH and ROBERTSON, P. JJ., and SUGG, WALKER, BROOM, BOWLING and HAWKINS, JJ., concur.