Case Title: Johnston v. Leach

Citation: 197 Or. 430, 253 P.2d 642

Docket Number: 

State: oregon

Court: Oregon Supreme Court

Date: 1953-02-26T00:00:00Z

Document:
Affirmed February 26, 1953.
*431 Howard K. Beebe, of Portland, argued the cause for appellant. On the brief were Glenn R. Jack, of Oregon City, W.H. Morrison, of Portland, and Maguire, Shields, Morrison & Bailey, of Portland.
John O. Sheldahl, of Oregon City, argued the cause for respondent. On the brief were John P. Misko, and Sheldahl & Misko, of Oregon City.
Before LATOURETTE, Chief Justice, and WARNER, LUSK, BRAND and PERRY, Justices.
AFFIRMED.
BRAND, J.
The plaintiff, who was a guest in the defendant's car, brought this action for damages on account of personal injury alleged to have been caused by the gross negligence of the defendant. Verdict and judgment were rendered for the plaintiff, and the defendant appeals. The case is controlled by the provisions of OCLA, § 115-1001. There was no evidence of intentional injury or of intoxication. It follows that the plaintiff could recover only if there was substantial evidence of gross negligence or of reckless disregard of the rights of others. The defendant relies upon a single assignment *432 of error, namely, the denial by the court of his motion for a directed verdict.
The mishap occurred upon Highway 43 which runs between Oswego, Oregon, and the city of Portland. The complaint alleges that said highway is so constructed as to provide for three marked lanes of travel. The plaintiff was riding as a guest in the car driven by the defendant, in a northerly direction toward Portland, Oregon. The complaint alleges that the defendant, at a point approximately one mile northerly from Oswego, drove the car in a negligent, reckless, and unlawful manner, and caused the automobile to leave the traveled portion of the highway and to plunge down a steep incline upon the right side thereof, throwing the plaintiff from the automobile and causing the injuries described. It is alleged that the defendant was grossly negligent in that he drove the car at the time and place in question at a dangerous and reckless and unlawful rate of speed in excess of 75 miles an hour; that he failed to properly steer, operate, handle and control the accelerator so as to slow the automobile down and to have it under his control; that he failed to maintain a proper or any lookout, particularly, for cars approaching from the opposite direction, and:
1. The answer was a general denial, except for the formal admission concerning the name of the defendant and the further admission of the allegation concerning State Highway No. 43, and the marking of the three lanes thereon. The motion for a directed verdict was made for the reason that "there is no evidence of gross negligence" or reckless disregard of the rights of others.
Upon this issue we are not permitted to weigh the evidence. We shall review it solely for the purpose of determining whether there was substantial evidence of gross negligence or reckless disregard.
The defendant, with the plaintiff as his guest, drove toward the city of Portland at a normal rate of speed, described as 45 to 55 miles an hour, until he got on the straight-of-way at Marylhurst College, which lies between Oregon City and Oswego. When he reached the straight-of-way at Willamette, defendant remarked that his car was running well, and from that point on he started driving at a high rate of speed, up to 75 miles an hour. The plaintiff testified that he was looking at the speedometer. We quote:
We again quote the testimony:
The defendant turned into the middle lane to pass a car which was proceeding in the same direction. The plaintiff continued:
Plaintiff testified that at this time the north-bound car in the right lane was "in back of us * * * at that point where you couldn't see him in your rear view mirror, and as you glanced sideways, you still couldn't see him through your side window * * *".
It will be remembered that the complaint alleged and the answer admitted that the highway in question *435 is paved and is so constructed as to provide for three marked lanes of travel. The plaintiff testified that the lanes "are marked once in awhile." There were two yellow stripes going down the road and a white stripe in each lane of travel. The white stripe was on the right-hand side of the yellow stripe as the plaintiff drove northerly. Plaintiff testified that the car which the defendant passed immediately before the accident was driving 55 miles an hour, and that the defendant went by him at "a pretty good speed." We quote:
Plaintiff further testified that on the first occasion when he complained to the defendant about speed, the car was going between 75 and 80 miles an hour. After that incident, the defendant slowed down to 40 miles an hour while negotiating winding curves on the approach to Oswego. Plaintiff testified:
There is evidence that the road was wet; that the defendant's tires were smooth, with a faint trace of tread on them. The investigator for the district attorney's office testified that the defendant, on the day of the accident, stated that he had been driving at an estimated speed of 50 miles an hour, attempted to pass a car, and "due to the smoothness of his tires, his car went out of control and over the shoulder and down the bank, turning over several times." The same investigator testified to rubber skid marks 80 feet in length. A sketch prepared by Officer Miller located the skid marks as beginning in the middle lane of travel and extending diagonally for 80 feet to the easterly edge of the right-hand lane. From that point the car traveled 96 feet across a bank and down a declivity. The defendant himself testified that when he reached a point 20 feet ahead of the car which he was passing, he was going about 60 miles an hour. The defendant testified that when he saw the south bound car swing out into the middle lane, he jerked the wheel and in doing so, "flipped to the right", and he was on the shoulder, and then, "flipped to the left", and he was on the bank and was out of control. He also testified that when the emergency arose he first "hit the accelerator a lot", and then "applied the brakes."
2, 3. The evidence of the defendant's negligence is clear. In Turner, Adm'r, v. McCready et al., 190 Or 28, 222 P2d 1010, this court reviewed substantially all of the Oregon cases involving charges of gross negligence. The extensive review of the authorities in that case was made for the specific purpose of avoiding, when possible, the necessity of similar studies in future cases. *438 After consideration of the facts in the cases in which substantial evidence of gross negligence was found to exist, in comparison with the facts in the cases in which the court had held that no evidence of gross negligence existed, we summarized as follows:
Subsequent decisions have not changed the general rules above set forth.
*439 4. Accepting the evidence most favorable to the plaintiff in the case at bar, we find that the defendant was driving at an excessive rate of speed, on a wet road, with smooth tires, after twice having been warned to slow down, once immediately preceding the accident. We have evidence that the defendant was either irritated or angry by the warning first given. The road on which he was driving was a three lane road which in and of itself constitutes notice of the necessity of especial care to avoid collision in the middle lane. The road curved at points both north and south of the point of the accident. The fact that the defendant earnestly strove to avoid a collision after having recklessly placed himself in a position of danger does not free him from responsibility for the conduct which produced the condition of danger. We are of the opinion that there was substantial evidence of gross negligence which was properly submitted to the jury.
The judgment is affirmed.