Title: Merrill v. Stringer
Citation: 271 P.2d 405, 58 N.M. 372
Docket Number: 5738
State: new-mexico
Issuer: new-mexico Supreme Court
Date: May 11, 1954

271 P.2d 405 (1954) 58 N.M. 372 MERRILL v. STRINGER. No. 5738. Supreme Court of New Mexico. May 11, 1954. Rehearing Denied June 18, 1954. *406 Joseph L. Smith, Lorenzo A. Chavez, Arturo G. Ortega, Albuquerque, for appellant. Simms &amp; Modrall, George T. Harris, Jr., Albuquerque, for appellee. COMPTON, Justice. Appellant, plaintiff below, instituted this action for damages for personal injuries sustained by her allegedly resulting from being struck by an automobile driven by appellee. The accident occurred about 7:00 p.m. May 31, 1952, on East Central near the center line, and some 60 feet west of the intersection of East Central and Adams Street. On the day in question appellant had worked at Highland Hairdresser Shop, and to return home it was necessary to cross East Central from the south to the north and possibly catch a westbound bus. At the southwest quadrant of the intersection there is a bus stop for the convenience of passengers traveling east. She hesitated at this stop and soon an eastbound bus slowed up to stop. She waved for the driver to go on and the bus proceeded east. She then looked to the west ostensibly to judge the traffic, and as soon as the bus had cleared away, started running in a northwesterly direction. At the same time appellee was driving his automobile west on East Central in the south lane next to the center line at a speed of approximately 25 to 30 miles per hour. Appellant ran or walked into the path of the vehicle. The impact rendered her unconscious for days and she was otherwise seriously injured. The complaint charges two causes of action; the negligence of appellee in the operation of the automobile; and that appellee had a last clear chance to avoid the accident. The negligent acts, omission and failure to act alleged as a basis for the application of the last clear chance doctrine, are excessive speed under the circumstances, failure to maintain a proper lookout and failure to exercise ordinary care for appellant's safety whom he saw, or should have seen, was in a position of peril from which she could not escape by the exercise of ordinary care. These charges were put in issue by a general denial. As special defenses, appellee pleaded contributory negligence and assumption of risk. Subsequently, the first cause of action was withdrawn, leaving only the last clear chance issue. The cause was tried to a jury and when appellant rested, appellee's motion for a directed verdict on the ground there was no issuable fact for the jury, was granted and the cause dismissed. Assigned as error is the action of the court in directing the verdict and rendering judgment thereon. The grounds for directing the verdict are reflected by the remarks of the court to the jury: The parties are in accord on the essential elements which must be present in order to warrant the application of the last clear chance doctrine, (a) that the appellant has been negligent, (b) that as a result of her negligence she is in a position of peril from which she cannot escape by the exercise of ordinary care, (c) that the defendant knows or should have known of plaintiff's peril, and (d) that appellee had a clear chance by the exercise of ordinary care to avoid the injury and that he failed to do so. Floeck v. Hoover, 52 N.M. 193, 195 P.2d 86. Appellant contends that appellee had a last clear chance to avert the injury by the exercise of ordinary care, after having appreciated her danger and having reason to suppose that she would not save herself from injury, but failed to do so. Conversely, while admitting he was negligent in not seeing appellant, appellee contends that the last clear chance doctrine is inapplicable because appellant was physically able to extricate herself by the exercise of ordinary care, and that appellee did not have actual knowledge of appellant's perilous situation. We think the court committed error. The case was disposed of on the issue of negligence and contributory negligence. The verdict should be directed only if in the exercise of sound discretion the court can say there is neither evidence nor permissible inference which would support a verdict for the plaintiff. It need not appear that appellant was physically unable to extricate herself. The rule applies with equal force where a plaintiff is unable to escape danger because wholly unaware of it where a defendant actually sees the perilous position and could have averted the injury by the exercise of ordinary care. Sanchez v. Gomez, 57 N.M. 383, 259 P.2d 346; Thayer v. Denver &amp; R.G.R. Co., 21 N.M. 330, 154 P. 691; Smith v. Los Angeles Ry., 105 Cal. App. 657, 288 P. 690; Girdner v. Union Oil Co., 216 Cal. 197, 13 P.2d 915; Gillette v. City and County of San Francisco, 58 Cal. App. 2d 434, 136 P.2d 611; Nicolai v. Pacific Electric Ry. Co., 92 Cal. App. 100, 267 P. 758; Gainer v. United Railroads, 58 Cal. App. 459, 208 P. 1013; Center v. Yellow Cab Co., 216 Cal. 205, 13 P.2d 918. The Thayer case, supra, is the leading case on the doctrine in this jurisdiction. Mr. Justice Roberts speaking for the court, said [21 N.M. 330, 154 P. 697]: In Girdner v. Union Oil Co., supra [216 Cal. 197, 13 P.2d 917], the court said: Appellee strongly argues that the evidence is conclusive that he did not have actual knowledge of appellant's danger. This contention is based principally on appellee's own testimony. He testified that the first time he saw appellant "she appeared in his windshield" at the moment of the impact. But this evidence is not conclusive. The jury was not bound by his denial. Whether appellee saw and appreciated appellant's situation and could have avoided injuring her by the exercise of ordinary care, was a question for the jury and not one of law to be judicially determined. Thompson v. Albuquerque Traction Co., 15 N.M. 407, 110 P. 552; Lucero v. Harshay, 50 N.M. 1, 165 P.2d 587; Sanchez v. Gomez, 57 N.M. 383, 259 P.2d 346; Tarter v. Missouri, K. &amp; T. Ry. Co., 119 Kan. 365, 239 P. 754; Arnold v. San Francisco-Oakland Terminal Rys., 175 Cal. 1, 164 P. 798; Smith v. Pacific Greyhound Corp., 139 Cal. App. 696, 35 P.2d 169; Atlantic Refining Co. v. Jones, 4 Cir., 70 F.2d 89; Smith v. Gamp, 178 Wash. 451, 35 P.2d 40. The witness Stroup sitting in his car on the south side of the street testified that appellee's wife saw appellant before appellee did. Another driver immediately behind appellee some 20 yards and traveling in the same direction, saw appellant approaching the center line and was able to bring his vehicle to a stop. This evidence presented an issue of fact. A jury might reasonably conclude that appellee actually saw the appellant in a position of danger, notwithstanding his testimony to the contrary, and had he then exercised reasonable care he could have avoided the injury. In Gillette v. City, etc. supra, the court in discussing just such a situation, [58 Cal. App. 2d 434, 136 P.2d 615] said: In Smith v. Gamp, supra [178 Wash. 451, 35 P.2d 41], the court held: In Rasmussen v. Fresno Traction Co., 15 Cal. App. 2d 356, 59 P.2d 617, 620, the court said: It is argued that since appellant's negligence continued up to the time of her injury, the rule is not available to her. Even so, it is generally held that the doctrine cannot be invoked where there is concurrent negligence as a proximate cause or where the injured party's negligence continued up to the very moment of the injury, or where the exercise of ordinary care on the part of a plaintiff would have warned him of danger and enabled him to escape from it; nevertheless, the doctrine may apply, irrespective of a plaintiff's continuing negligence, if the defendant, after knowing of the plaintiff's danger and having reason to suppose that he may not save himself, had a last clear chance to avoid it by the exercise of ordinary care but failed to do so. Thayer v. Denver &amp; R.G.R. Co., supra; Kabler's Adm'r v. Southern Ry. Co., 121 Va. 90, 92 S.E. 815; McLead v. Charleston Laundry Co., 106 W. Va. 361, 145 S.E. 756; Merchants' Transp. Co. v. Daniel, 109 Fla. 496, 149 So. 401; Browning v. Bremerton-Charleston Transit Co., Inc., 28 Wash. 2d 713, 183 P.2d 1005; Coins v. Washington Motor Coach Co., Inc., 34 Wash. 2d 1, 208 P.2d *410 143; Zettler v. City of Seattle, 153 Wash. 179, 279 P. 570; Smith v. Gamp, supra. Also, see 92 A.L.R. 86, where the cases are assembled. The judgment is reversed and remanded with direction to the lower court to enter an order reinstating the case upon its docket and proceed in a manner not inconsistent herewith, and It Is So Ordered. McGHEE, C.J., and SADLER and LUJAN, JJ., concur. SEYMOUR, J., not participating.