Case Name: Camille Ann CONNER v. James D. HARRIS and Larry Odom
Court: Mississippi Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Mississippi
Decision Date: 1993-07-29
Citations: 624 So. 2d 482
Docket Number: No. 90-CA-1256
Parties: Camille Ann CONNER v. James D. HARRIS and Larry Odom.
Judges: HAWKINS, C.J., and SULLIVAN and McRAE, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 624
Pages: 482–485

Head Matter:
Camille Ann CONNER v. James D. HARRIS and Larry Odom.
No. 90-CA-1256.
Supreme Court of Mississippi.
July 29, 1993.
Rehearing Denied Oct. 21, 1993.
S. Robert Hammond Jr., Bryant Clark Dukes Blakeslee Ramsay & Hammond, Hat-tiesburg, John B. Gillis, Clarksdale, for appellant.
Jack W. Land, Bryan Nelson Randolph Land & Weathers, Barney B. Hebert, Hat-tiesburg, for appellee.

Opinion:
JAMES L. ROBERTS, Jr., Justice,
for the court:
Camille Ann Conner appeals a jury verdict and judgment in favor of James D. Harris and Larry Odom in her suit against them in the circuit court of Pearl River County. Because the court refused instruction P-5 requested by Conner that Harris was negligent as a matter of law in turning his vehicle to the left out of his lane of traffic without first looking to see whether or not Conner was following him, we reverse.
FACTS
At approximately 12:30 p.m. March 15, 1989, Harris was driving his employer Odom's spreader truck north on Highway 11 in Pearl River County. Si Jones Road was over the crest of the hill in the direction in which Harris was traveling, and Harris planned to turn left off the highway onto this road.
Behind Harris, also headed north, Conner was driving a Pontiac Sunbird owned by Tammy Porter, who was also riding in the car.
Harris was traveling approximately 15 miles per hour, Conner 55-60 miles per hour. There was a dispute as to whether Harris had his blinkers on, but he admitted that he had seen Conner's vehicle behind him as he crested the hill, and was aware it was following, but he did not look behind him before making a left turn preparatory to turning into Si Jones Road. He also admitted that had he looked, he would have seen the- Pontiac.
At the time Conner had pulled into the left, or southbound lane, preparatory to passing the Harris vehicle. When Harris turned to the left, Conner was unable to stop and the vehicles collided in the left, southbound lane.
At the conclusion of the trial, Conner requested and was refused the following instruction:
JURY INSTRUCTION NO. P-5: The Court instructs the jury that the Defendant, James 0. [sic] Harris, is guilty of negligence by failing to comply with his duty to keep a proper lookout, specifically his failure to ascertain the location of the Plaintiffs vehicle prior to executing the left hand turn, and if you further find that the Defendant, James 0. [sic] Harris' failure to comply with this duty was a proximate contributing cause to the Plaintiffs injuries, then your verdict shall be for the Plaintiff against the Defendants.
The jury found for the defendants, and Conner has appealed
LAW
Miss.Code Ann. § 63-3-707 (1972) provides in pertinent part: "No person shall turn a vehicle from a direct course upon a highway unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety ."
In Gates v. Murphree, 286 So.2d 291 (Miss.1973), the defendant Gates attempted to overtake and pass a vehicle he was following, and as he did so a vehicle following the Gates vehicle (which Gates did not see prior to pulling into the left lane), also attempted to pass. The circuit court held that Gates was negligent as a matter of law in pulling out of his lane of traffic, and attempting to pass without seeing the vehicle to his rear, and without first ascertaining he could do so with reasonable safety. Citing the statute, we affirmed. Gates is dispositive.
It was reversible error for the court to refuse this requested instruction, and we according reverse and remand for a new trial.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
HAWKINS, C.J., and SULLIVAN and McRAE, JJ., concur.
BANKS, J., concurs with separate written opinion.
SMITH, J., dissents with separate written opinion joined by DAN M. LEE and PRATHER, P.JJ., and PITTMAN, J.