Case Title: Gutierrez v. Koury

Citation: 263 P.2d 557, 57 N.M. 741

Docket Number: 

State: new-mexico

Court: New Mexico Supreme Court

Date: 1953-11-19T00:00:00Z

Document:
263 P.2d 557 (1953) 57 N.M. 741 GUTIERREZ et al. v. KOURY. No. 5657. Supreme Court of New Mexico. November 19, 1953. McAtee & Toulouse, Albuquerque, for appellant. Gilberto Espinosa, Albuquerque, for appellees. LUJAN, Justice. This is an appeal from a judgment awarding damages to each of the three named plaintiffs for personal injuries occasioned by the collision of a passenger motor vehicle, in which plaintiffs were riding, with the rear end of a truck owned and operated by the defendant. The collision, resulting in the damages complained of, took place, at approximately 10:15 o'clock on the evening of May 11, 1952, on U.S. Highway 85, at a point about 300 feet from where North Second Street enters the above highway. U.S. 85 is a paved four-lane highway, 40 feet in width, perfectly level and runs in a northerly and southerly direction at the place of impact. The evidence shows that the truck was parked on the outer lane of said highway with no lights burning at the time, as testified to by plaintiff, Leo A. Gutierrez and the defendant; and that said plaintiff was driving his automobile with dimmer lights burning which lights enabled him to see 75 feet straight ahead. The plaintiff testified substantially as follows: That he was returning *558 to his home, with his family, in Bernalillo from Albuquerque where he had gone to take a friend and his family; that the night was pretty dark; that he was traveling on the outer lane of the highway at approximately 40 to 45 miles per hour; that he was driving with dim lights on; that after he passed the Sandia filling station he had traveled about 300 feet when he collided with defendant's truck which was parked on the outer lane of the highway with no lights burning; that he first noticed the truck when he was from 25 to 50 feet away from it; that he then swerved to his left in an effort to avoid hitting it; that the right front of his car hit the rear left end of the truck. The defendant testified substantially as follows: That he was returning to his home in Bernalillo from Albuquerque where he had gone to purchase some merchandise; that on his way home his one-half ton truck developed ignition trouble and stalled on the outer lane of the highway approximately 300 feet from the Sandia filling station; that his lights went out; that he tried five or six times to get the truck started but was unable to do so; that he then stood behind the truck and tried to flag five cars to stop but without success; that he then left the truck where it stalled and went back to the filling station to get help; and that while there the plaintiffs' car collided with the rear end of his truck. The cause was tried to the court without the aid of a jury. It resolved the issues in favor of plaintiffs and defendant appeals. The court found: The court concluded as a matter of law: Defendant contends that he was not negligent for leaving his disabled truck on the paved portion of the highway, because exempt under Section 68-523 (c) of 1941 Compilation. We are unable to agree with this contention. This section provides: There was nothing about the physical condition of the highway to prevent or render impracticable driving the truck off of the paved portion of the highway unto the side of such highway. It was perfectly level at this point. The truck was not disabled *559 in such manner and to such extent, at the time it began chugging, that it was impossible to avoid stopping and temporarily leaving it in such position. See Duncan v. Madrid, 44 N.M. 249, 101 P.2d 382. From defendant's own testimony it appears that he had ample time within which to steer his truck clear from the highway had he exercised due diligence. He testified: Having had the opportunity to steer his truck to the side of the highway when it began chugging, the statute imposed upon him the duty of so doing. Duncan v. Madrid, supra. It was this negligence of the defendant, and not any impracticability of driving off of the lane of traffic and stopping his truck as he did, that caused it to stop on the paved portion of the highway. It is next contended that he was under no legal duty to place flares or any other lights on the highway to warn motorists of his situation. Much of defendant's argument on this point is on the theory that no duty is owing the driver of a truck by the operator of a disabled vehicle, save as prescribed by Section 68-728 of 1941 Compilation, which provides, in part: While unquestionably defendant was not subject to the above provision of the statute because not applicable to him, nevertheless, that did not relieve him from the duty of exercising reasonable care to protect others using the highway from injury by reason of colliding with his unlighted truck parked on paved portion of the highway. That duty is based on the well established common law principles which are applicable to the case at bar. The defendant, after he found himself unable to move his truck, which he stopped as he did, owed the duty to plaintiffs and others approaching the same, to exercise reasonable care to warn them of their peril. A failure to perform this duty was negligence and such negligence was the proximate cause of the collision, resulting in injury to the plaintiffs. Defendant's contention, that the primary negligence was that of the plaintiff, Leo A. Gutierrez, in proceeding at a rate of speed which did not permit him to stop within the distance covered by the range of his lights, cannot prevail. He relies on what was said in the case of Frei v. Brownlee, 56 N.M. 677, 248 P.2d 671, that one who drives so fast he can not stop within the range of his headlights is ordinarily negligent as a matter of law. However, we believe that under the circumstances present in this case and the findings of fact of the trial court, as well as the presumptions in aid of such findings and the judgment are sufficient to take the case at bar out of the doctrine of above case. See, also, Olguin v. Thygesen, 47 N.M. 377, 143 P.2d 585. The plaintiff's Leo A. Gutierrez speed being lawful and reasonable and his handling of his car being such as a reasonable prudent man would indulge in, the fact that his lights did not reveal the truck left standing on the highway by the defendant did not make him guilty of contributory negligence in failing to see that object in time to avoid hitting it. Section 68-504 (b) of 1941 Compilation provides: Absent notice to the contrary, Leo A. Gutierrez had a right to assume that the lane of traffic on which he was traveling was free from obstructions or, if not, that the one responsible for its blockage would give adequate and proper warning thereof. Plaintiffs were where they had a right to be, and they were not bound to anticipate that the defendant would leave his truck standing in the middle of the paved portion of the highway unattended and without lights. The situation reviewed by this court in Duncan v. Madrid, supra, wherein the administratrix of a passenger, in which the driver of a following car, recovered damages from the owner of an unlighted truck, stationary in the highway, possesses much appositeness in principle to the case at bar. There the operator of the automobile was driving along the highway, during the nighttime at between 40 and 45 miles per hour, when he suddenly collided with an unlighted truck which was parked on the paved portion of the highway. The court said: In the instant case the trial court found that the plaintiff, Leo A. Gutierrez, was traveling at a rate of speed within the allowable velocity on the highway, with his lights burning, and in a careful manner and without negligence on his part. We are of opinion that the proximate cause of the accident, the causa sine quo non, was the negligence of duty on the part of the defendant in parking his truck on the main traveled portion of the highway without indicating its presence by a warning light which might have given notice to the plaintiff of the peril in front of him. The proximate cause of the injuries to the plaintiffs was the negligent parking of the truck and the negligent failure in leaving it unattended and unlighted which the defendant thus created. Other questions are raised, but are without merit. The judgment of the district court should be affirmed, and it is so ordered. SADLER, C.J., and McGHEE, COMPTON, and SEYMOUR, JJ., concur.