Title: Kendrick v. Atchison, T. & SF Rld. Co.
Citation: 182 Kan. 249, 320 P.2d 1061
Docket Number: 40,691
State: Kansas
Issuer: Kansas Supreme Court
Date: January 25, 1958

182 Kan. 249 (1958)
320 P.2d 1061
DONALD F. KENDRICK, Appellant,
v.
THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA &amp; SANTA FE RAILROAD COMPANY, Appellee.
No. 40,691

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed January 25, 1958.
John C. Frank, of Wichita, argued the cause and Robert L. Morrison, of Wichita, and George Templar, Earle N. Wright, Ted Templar, of Arkansas City, were with him on the briefs for the appellant.
W.E. Treadway and Edwin M. Wheeler, both of Topeka, argued the cause and Kirke W. Dale, Donald Hickman, both of Arkansas City, and C.J. Putt, J.B. Reeves, of Topeka, were with them on the briefs for the appellee.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
HALL, J.:
This is an appeal from an order sustaining the demurrer to the plaintiff's evidence in a railroad crossing case.
The plaintiff Kendrick and others, Charles Manley, Tolliver Matthews and Milton McCollum were residents of Winfield, Kansas, employed at the Boeing Airplane Company in Wichita, Kansas. They had a car pool arrangement whereby the four of them alternated in driving their automobiles from Winfield to Wichita.
On the afternoon of December 15, 1955, they were en route to the plant in Wichita where their work commenced at 3:45 p.m.
On this particular day Charles Manley was driving his car and the plaintiff Kendrick, Tolliver Matthews and Milton McCollum were passengers. The plaintiff sat in the rear seat to the left immediately behind the driver Manley. Matthews sat to the right in the rear seat and McCollum to the right in the front seat.
Manley, the driver, followed their usual route from Winfield to Wichita by taking U.S. Highway 77 north from Winfield to the junction of Kansas Highway 15 thence west to Wichita on K-15.
The Atchison, Topeka &amp; Santa Fe Railroad operates a line from Winfield northward to points east and west. From Akron, Kansas, a small town north of Winfield to the junction of US-77 and K-15, a distance of some 2 1/2 miles, highway 77 and the Santa Fe Railroad track are parallel.
Northbound US-77 connects with westbound K-15 by a wide, gradual curve approximately 1,760 feet in length. This curve merges into westbound K-15 approximately 490 feet east of a railroad *252 crossing over K-15. The highway and crossing are substantially at right angles.
At approximately the point where the curve from US-77 joins K-15, approximately 490 feet east of the crossing, there are the usual "hazard type warning signs." There were additional cross-arms signs on each side of the crossing.
Along the track, at a point approximately 1,320 feet south of the crossing, there was a whistle post for northbound trains approaching the crossing.
The accident occurred when a Santa Fe train proceeding in a northerly direction and the automobile driven by Charles Manley proceeding in a westerly direction on K-15 collided at the crossing. Manley was killed and the plaintiff suffered injuries for which this suit was brought.
The plaintiff Kendrick brought suit against the estate of the driver, Charles Manley, and the Santa Fe Railroad. The cases were consolidated for trial. At the close of the plaintiff's evidence both defendants demurred to the evidence. The demurrer of the defendant Santa Fe Railroad was sustained and the demurrer of the Manley estate was overruled.
In support of his petition the plaintiff gave his own testimony and the testimony of Matthews, one of the passengers in the car; Roy Snook, another employee at Boeing who commuted from Winfield and who was riding with his son Eugene Snook, Joe Hanna and others at a point about 500 feet on the curve behind the Manley car when the accident occurred; Eugene Snook and Joe Hanna; Lawrence O'Hara, who lived on a farm in Butler County and who at the time of the accident was at a stop sign on the north approach to K-15 about 150 feet east from the crossing; Lester Koch and Marvin LaFollette, Kansas State Highway Patrolmen who investigated the accident; James Desbein assistant county engineer; and several other witnesses who testified as to plaintiff's injuries which are not material to the issues raised in this demurrer.
Desbein testified as to the physical aspects of the highway and the railroad track. He had measured the distance from the highway to the whistle post and found it to be 1,320 feet.
Plaintiff Kendrick testified that Manley was driving about 60 or 65 miles per hour as he proceeded northward on US-77; that as they proceeded he did not see or hear the Santa Fe train. He said:
..............
..............
"The train was going faster than we were...."
Matthews' testimony corroborated generally with that of Kendrick. He also testified:
..............
Roy Snook testified:
Eugene Snook's testimony was substantially the same as his father's, Roy Snook. He also said:
..............
"A. The back of the train."
Joe Hanna testified:
..............
Lawrence O'Hara testified:
Lester Koch, a Highway Patrolman testified:
..............
"A. Yes sir.
"Q. And what, if anything, did he tell you?
*256 "Q. Was there any further comment about it?
"A. Not from me, no.
"A. No sir.
Marvin LaFollette, a Highway Patrolman testified:
..............
"Q. Did you ask him what had happened?
"A. Yes.
"Q. What did he tell you?
In ruling on the demurrer the court said:
Upon a demurrer to the evidence this court is called upon to review only the sufficiency of plaintiff's evidence and not to weigh the evidence for the purpose of rendering a decision on the merits of the action, and this same duty was incumbent upon the trial court. The rule is so well established in this and other jurisdictions that it would not be necessary to reiterate that in testing the sufficiency of evidence as against a demurrer, the court shall consider all of plaintiff's evidence as true, shall consider that favorable to plaintiff, together with all reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom, and disregard that unfavorable to plaintiff, and shall not weigh any part that is contradictory, nor weigh any differences between his direct and cross-examination, and give the evidence of plaintiff a liberal construction resolving all doubt against defendant and, if so considered, there is any evidence which supports or tends to support plaintiff's case on any theory, the demurrer shall be overruled. A few of our more recent cases adhering to this rule are: In re Estate of Dieter, 172 Kan. 359, 239 P.2d 954; Staab v. Staab, 160 Kan. 417, *257 163 P.2d 418; Palmer v. The Land &amp; Power Co., 172 Kan. 231, 239 P.2d 960; McCracken v. Stewart, 170 Kan. 129, 223 P.2d 963; Fry v. Cadle, 171 Kan. 14, 229 P.2d 724; Blankenship v. Fraker, 173 Kan. 438, 439, 249 P.2d 683; Revell v. Bennett, 162 Kan. 345, 176 P.2d 538; Huggins v. Kansas Power and Light Co., 164 Kan. 27, 187 P.2d 491; Gabel v. Hanby, 165 Kan. 116, 193 P.2d 239; Samms v. Regier, 167 Kan. 556, 207 P.2d 414; Hukle v. Kimble, 169 Kan. 438, 441, 219 P.2d 434; Schneider v. Stewart, 170 Kan. 158, 163, 223 P.2d 698; Cain v. Steely, 173 Kan. 866, 252 P.2d 909; Siegrist v. Wheeler, 175 Kan. 11, 259 P.2d 223; Messinger v. Fulton, 173 Kan. 851, 252 P.2d 904; Hill v. Southern Kansas Stage Lines Co., 143 Kan. 44, 53 P.2d 923; Worrell v. West, 179 Kan. 467, 296 P.2d 1092; Noel v. Menninger Foundation, 180 Kan. 23, 299 P.2d 38; Jones v. Winn, 179 Kan. 587, 297 P.2d 199; Harvey v. Palmer, 179 Kan. 472, 296 P.2d 1053; Brent v. McDonald, 180 Kan. 142, 300 P.2d 396; Cosby v. Doskocil, 180 Kan. 367, 303 P.2d 1107; Koch v. Suttle, 180 Kan. 603, 306 P.2d 123; Boggs v. City of Augusta, 180 Kan. 831, 308 P.2d 72; Jameson v. Farmers Mutual Automobile Ins. Co., 181 Kan. 120, 309 P.2d 394; Haqa v. Moss, Administrator, 181 Kan. 171, 311 P.2d 281; Witmer v. Estate of Brosius, 181 Kan. 200, 310 P.2d 937; Hamilton v. Ferguson, 181 Kan. 474, 312 P.2d 232; In re Estate of Modlin, 172 Kan. 428, 241 P.2d 692; Coleman v. Patti Construction Co., 182 Kan. 53, 318 P.2d 1028. Other cases holding to the same effect may be found in 5 Hatcher's Kansas Digest [Rev. Ed.], Trial, § 151, and West's Kansas Digest, Trial, § 156 (2) and (3).
The lower court relied on Harmon v. Atchison, Topeka &amp; S.F. Rly. Co., 171 Kan. 403, 233 P.2d 489 in deciding that the train was lawfully occupying the crossing and the plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence as a matter of law.
This case is not authority for either proposition. True, it was an action for damages sustained by a plaintiff in a crossing accident and who was riding as a passenger in an automobile. The plaintiff alleged several different grounds of negligence on behalf of the railroad. The court considered thoroughly each ground and determined that the plaintiff's evidence failed to sustain the allegations and that no actionable negligence had been shown.
The contributory negligence of the plaintiff was not even considered by the court. The court said:
The negligence relied on by the plaintiff in this case was the failure of the train to sound its whistle as provided by statute.
G.S. 1949, 66-2,120 provides as follows:
A similar contention was made in the Harmon case but the court said:
This case presents an entirely different situation. Here the plaintiff had six witnesses, including several disinterested ones, who testified the train did not whistle or at least they did not hear it whistle. The only contrary evidence was the testimony of a highway patrolman who quoted the engineer as saying he blew the whistle. Under the above rule on demurrer all such conflicts must be resolved in favor of the plaintiff.
This case also does not present the question of the lawful right of a train to occupy a crossing as in the Harmon case. This case presents the question of the negligence of a train in failing to sound a whistle at a crossing, whether any failure to do so is the proximate cause of the accident and plaintiff's injuries, and whether the plaintiff is barred by any contributory negligence.
Did the plaintiff's evidence meet these elements of recovery?
G.S. 1949, 66-2,120 has been on our statute books since 1868. Since the early case of Leavenworth, L. &amp; G.R. Co. v. Rice, 10 Kan. 321 [2nd Ed.], our court has held steadfastly to the rule that the failure to give the signals as required by this statute is negligence and later cases made it negligence per se. (M.A. &amp; B. Rly. *259 Co. v. Stewart, 30 Kan. 226, 2 Pac. 151; Clark v. Mo. Pac. Rly. Co., 35 Kan. 350, 11 Pac. 134; Mo. Pac. Rly. Co. v. Stevens, 35 Kan. 622, 12 Pac. 25; A.T. &amp; S.F. Rld. Co. v. Townsend, 39 Kan. 115, 17 Pac. 804.)
And this is the general rule in other jurisdictions with similar statutes. (Baltimore &amp; O.R. Co. v. Joseph, 112 F.2d 518; Hobbs v. Union Pacific R.R. Co., 62 Ida. 58, 108 P.2d 841; Busker v. New York Cent. R. Co., (Mo. App.) 149 S.W.2d 449; Moore v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co., 192 So. C. 406, 7 S.E.2d 4.)
The rule was well expressed in A.T. &amp; S.F. Rld. Co. v. Townsend, supra.
To these authorities may be added those which hold the violation of a city ordinance by railroads constitutes negligence per se. (Williams v. Electric Railroad Co., 102 Kan. 268, 170 Pac. 397; Cooper v. Railway Co., 117 Kan. 703, 232 Pac. 1024; Griffith v. Atchison, T. &amp; S.F. Rly. Co., 132 Kan. 282, 295 Pac. 687; Whitcomb v. Atchison, T. &amp; S.F. Rly. Co., 128 Kan. 749, 280 Pac. 900; McCausland v. File, 141 Kan. 120, 40 P.2d 323; Richards v. Chicago, R.I. &amp; P. Rly. Co., 157 Kan. 378, 139 P.2d 427.)
The purpose of these statutes is to warn of approaching trains and not of trains already occupying the crossing. (Corkhill v. Thompson, 169 Kan. 38, 217 P.2d 273.)
Appellee cites Williams v. Railway Co., 100 Kan. 336, 164 Pac. 260, to the contrary. In that case the court did not disturb the rule of negligence per se for failure to sound the whistle but said the failure to do so on the facts there was not the proximate cause of the injury.
Appellee contends the demurrer should be sustained because the evidence failed to prove actionable negligence on the part of the railroad in these particulars: There was nothing to obstruct the view of persons on the highway of approaching trains; there was no defect in the crossing; sign board warnings required by statute had been constructed and were in good repair; the speed of the train was lawful; the motorist is under duty to stop for a train; and plaintiff's injury was due to his negligence in riding into the side of the train while the train was occupying the crossing.
Again we must say, these are not the facts of negligence relied *260 on by plaintiff. Plaintiff relies upon the statutory duty of the train to sound its whistle at a crossing. The breach of this duty is negligence per se. For the purposes of demurrer the plaintiff offered ample evidence of the breach of this duty.
"Negligence per se" usually consists of the violation of a specific requirement of law or ordinance. (65 C.J.S. Negligence § 1 [e], p. 322; 38 Am. Jur., Negligence, § 158; 28 Words and Phrases, "Negligence Per Se.")
The distinction between "negligence" and "negligence per se" is the means and method of ascertainment, in that the former must be found by jury from the evidence, while the latter results from violation of the specific requirement of law or ordinance; and the only fact for determination of the jury is the commission or omission of the specific act inhibited or required. (28 Words and Phrases, "Negligence Per Se", p. 694.)
In this jurisdiction we follow the rule that while the breach of duty imposed by law or ordinance is negligence per se, liability in damages cannot be predicated on its violation unless the breach of the law or ordinance is the proximate cause of the injury or damages, or substantially contributes thereto. (Griffith v. Atchison, T. &amp; S.F. Rly. Co., supra; Williams v. Electric Railroad Co., supra; Cooper v. Railway Co., supra; Whitcomb v. Atchison, T. &amp; S.F. Rly. Co., supra; Richards v. Chicago, R.I. &amp; P. Rly. Co., supra.)
Appellee contends the driver's negligence and not the railroad's negligence, if any, was the proximate cause of the accident as a matter of law and relies on Richards v. Chicago, R.I. &amp; P. Rly. Co., supra.
What of proximate cause?
We have often defined it. In Atherton v. Goodwin, 163 Kan. 22, 180 P.2d 296:
The plaintiff brought suit separately against the Manley estate and the defendant Atchison, Topeka &amp; Santa Fe Railroad Company. The court consolidated them for trial.
The court overruled the demurrer as to defendant, the Manley estate. Manley's negligence is not a question in this appeal.
It has long been the rule in this state that a driver who negligently *261 drives in front of an approaching train at a crossing may be joined with the railroad company as a defendant for injuries received by passengers for their concurring negligence. (Railway Co. v. Durand, 65 Kan. 380, 69 Pac. 356; Fliege v. Railway Co., 82 Kan. 147, 107 Pac. 555.)
This is also the broad general rule in most jurisdictions. (Morgan v. Hines, 260 Fed. 585.)
There can be more than one legal or proximate cause of an accident. (Stevens v. Jones, 168 Kan. 583, 215 P.2d 653; Neiswender v. Shawnee County Comm'rs, 151 Kan. 574, 101 P.2d 226.)
The mere fact that the driver Manley may have been negligent and his negligence a proximate cause of the accident would in no wise excuse the concurrent negligence of the railroad if its breach of statutory duty was also a proximate cause of the accident. (Taggart v. Yellow Cab Co. of Wichita, 156 Kan. 88, 131 P.2d 924; Morgan v. Hines, supra.)
In the Taggart case the court said:
See, also, Strohmyer v. Ventura, 178 Kan. 597, 290 P.2d 1001.
Proximate cause is most always a question for the jury. It becomes a question of law only where the facts are agreed upon and not in dispute. The same rule is followed where the injury is the result of concurring negligence. (38 Am. Jur., Negligence, § 352; Durst v. Wareham, 132 Kan. 785, 297 Pac. 675; Corley v. Railway Co., 95 Kan. 124, 147 Pac. 842; Hartman v. Railway Co., 94 Kan. 184, *262 146 Pac. 335; Railway Co. v. Parry, 67 Kan. 515, 73 Pac. 105; Richards v. Chicago, R.I. &amp; P. Rly. Co., supra; Nevitt v. Railway Co., 115 Kan. 439, 223 Pac. 269.)
In the Richards case the court did not hold as a matter of law that the proximate cause of the collision was the negligence of the driver of the automobile in which the plaintiff was riding and not the negligence of the railroad. However, in that case the court found the only fact worthy of consideration for the jury was the speed of the train and this fact by itself had no direct bearing upon the accident in question.
The case here is easily distinguished. The facts are not agreed upon and are very much in dispute, particularly those as to the blowing of the whistle, the negligent act relied upon by plaintiff.
Proximate cause in this case is clearly a matter for the jury and cannot be determined on demurrer as a matter of law.
What of contributory negligence? Was there evidence from which the court could determine on demurrer that the plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence as a matter of law.
Both parties to this appeal have cited many cases involving crossing accidents and the contributory negligence of a driver, particularly Horton v. Atchison, T. &amp; S.F. Rly. Co., 161 Kan. 403, 168 P.2d 928; Johnson v. Union Pacific Rld. Co., 157 Kan. 633, 143 P.2d 630. These authorities are not persuasive. In this case we are concerned with the negligence of a passenger in an automobile and not in the negligence of a driver.
The plaintiff, a passenger, could only be guilty of contributory negligence by: (1) a failure to use due care for his own safety as a passenger in the automobile; (2) under joint enterprise where the negligence of the driver would be imputed to him.
These two bases for contributory negligence of one who is riding in an automobile as a passenger were discussed and distinguished in a leading Kansas case (Corley v. Railway Co., 90 Kan. 70, 133 Pac. 555).
In that case Corley, the plaintiff's husband, was riding in an automobile as a guest of a friend who was driving it. At a crossing it was struck by a train of the Atchison, Topeka &amp; Santa Fe Railway Company and all the occupants were killed. The plaintiff sued for the loss of her husband.
The case reviewed the earlier cases of liability to passengers and restates the well established rule in this jurisdiction that the negligence *263 of a driver is not imputed to one who is riding in an automobile as a passenger. In the opinion the court said:
This rule on imputed negligence has never seriously been questioned in this jurisdiction and has been followed repeatedly in our decisions. (Anthony v. Kiefner, 96 Kan. 194, 150 Pac. 524; Denton v. Railroad Co., 97 Kan. 498 155 Pac. 812; Burzio v. Railroad Co., 102 Kan. 287, 171 Pac. 351; Clark v. Railroad Co., 115 Kan. 823, 224 Pac. 920; Bower v. Railroad Co., 106 Kan. 404, 188 Pac. 420; Calvin v. Schaff, Receiver, 118 Kan. 196, 234 Pac. 1006.)
Although the negligence of the driver may not be so imputed, the passenger has a duty to protect himself and may be barred of recovery because of his independent negligence. The test applied to determine whether the passenger is contributorily negligent has varied somewhat over the years. Laws of the early cases which repudiated the doctrine of imputable negligence discussed the duty of the passenger. *264 (Bush v. Railroad Co., 62 Kan. 709, 64 Pac. 624; Railway Co. v. Bussey, 66 Kan. 735, 71 Pac. 261; Williams v. Withington, 88 Kan. 809, 129 Pac. 1148; Denton v. Railway Co., 97 Kan. 498, 155 Pac. 812; Corley v. Railway Co., 90 Kan. 70, 133 Pac. 555; Burzio v. Railway Co., supra; Schaefer v. Interurban Railway Co., 104 Kan. 394, 179 Pac. 323; Kirby v. Railway Co., 106 Kan. 163, 186 Pac. 744; Nevitt v. Railway Co., 115 Kan. 439, 223 Pac. 269; Bradshaw v. Payne, 111 Kan. 475, 207 Pac. 802; Kessler v. Davis, 111 Kan. 515, 207 Pac. 799; Hough v. Atchison, T. &amp; S.F. Rly. Co., 133 Kan. 757, 3 P.2d 499; Cooper v. Railway Co., 117 Kan. 703, 232 Pac. 1024; Billings v. Aldridge, 133 Kan. 769, 3 P.2d 639; Shepard v. Thompson, 153 Kan. 68, 109 P.2d 126; Heiserman v. Aikman, 163 Kan. 700, 186 P.2d 252; Miller v. Union Pac. R. Co., 196 F.2d 333; Buechhein v. Atchison, T. &amp; S.F. Rly. Co., 147 Kan. 192, 75 P.2d 280; Hooker v. Missouri Pac. Rld. Co., 134 Kan. 762, 8 P.2d 394; Blue v. Atchison, T. &amp; S.F. Rly. Co., 126 Kan. 635, 270 Pac. 588; Ewing v. Railroad Co., 117 Kan. 200, 206, 231 Pac. 334; Rathbone v. Railway Co., 113 Kan. 257, 259, 214 Pac. 109; Knight v. Railway Co., 111 Kan. 308, 206 Pac. 893.) The cases are collected and discussed up through Billings v. Aldridge, supra, in 1 Kansas Bar Journal 145.
Two of the more recent cases cited state the duty of the passenger in this language. In Shepard v. Thompson, supra, the court said:
In Miller v. Union Pac. R. Co., supra, the court said:
Kansas has held without deviation that it will be presumed that a person exercises reasonable care for his safety. And in the absence of evidence or circumstances to the contrary, the presumption is that before venturing to cross a railroad track one will both look *265 and listen before doing so. This implies that a passenger both looked and listened and warned the driver of an approaching train near the crossing. (Miller v. Union Pac. R. Co., 196 F.2d 333.)
The evidence of the plaintiff in this case meets the test of due care by a passenger for his own safety. The plaintiff testified that he looked for approaching trains, saw the train, and warned the driver repeatedly. His testimony was corroborated by Matthews, one of the other passengers in the car. Since there is no evidence as yet to the contrary it may also be presumed he exercised reasonable care for his safety.
Under the rule on demurrer to the evidence the plaintiff is not guilty of contributory negligence as a matter of law. The issues of fact pertaining thereto must be determined by the jury. (Miller v. Union Pac. R. Co., supra; Hough v. Atchison, T. &amp; S.F. Rly. Co., supra; Billings v. Aldridge, supra; Nevitt v. Railway Co., supra, Schaefer v. Interurban Railway Co., supra.)
Is the plaintiff barred of recovery because the negligence of the driver is imputed to him under joint enterprise?
The only evidence before the court relative to this issue was the statements of the plaintiff and Matthews. Both testified that they were in a car pool with Manley for the purpose of saving expenses and the necessity of driving their cars every day. They also testified that the driver had the right to pick his own route and that none of the riders had control over the manner in which he drove.
The court said in Schmid v. Eslick, 181 Kan. 997, 317 P.2d 459:
The evidence on demurrer here does not show a joint enterprise existed between the driver and the plaintiff as a matter of law. (Kessler v. Davis, supra; Bradshaw v. Payne, supra; Heiserman v. Aikman, supra.)
It was erroneous for the trial court to sustain the demurrer of defendant Atchison, Topeka &amp; Santa Fee Railroad Company to the plaintiff's evidence.
The ruling of the trial court on the demurrer to the evidence is reversed, the judgment thereafter rendered is set aside, and the cause is remanded for further proceedings.
It is so ordered.
*266 SCHROEDER, J., (concurring specially):
Under all the facts and circumstances presented by the record in this case the proximate cause of plaintiff's injury remains a question of fact for the jury in my opinion. It is contended that even if the whistle had been sounded, the act of doing so would not have given any further notice to plaintiff than what he already had, and which he had already imparted to the driver. This sounds convincing until other evidence, not heretofore disclosed in the opinion, is revealed.
The testimony discloses that plaintiff and Matthews, who were riding in the back seat of the auto, jested with each other. The plaintiff (Kendrick) testified on direct examination:
Matthews on direct examination testified:
"A. Yes, he had been.
"Q. Do you know when he quit?
"Q. You think he did what?
"A. I think he threw the book at me.
"Q. What do you mean threw the book at you?
"A. Oh, just tossed it over in my lap.
"Q. Did you read it?
Thus, the moral in the old fable of the shepherd boy, who after one false alarm shouted "Wolf" a second time in truthful need but without response from his neighbors, may have practical application here. A jury may find that the driver (Manley) did not comprehend the significance of the warning given by the passengers in the auto because their previous conduct in jesting with each other had the effect of misleading him. Under such circumstances a jury was entitled to determine whether failure to sound a whistle, if this be a fact, was a contributing proximate cause of the injury. Here the court is not confronted with successive acts of negligence as in Hickert v. Wright, 182 Kan. 100, 319 P.2d 152, but with concurrent acts of negligence.
*267 Whether plaintiff's conduct in jesting was sufficient to bar his recovery on the ground of contributory negligence, likewise remains for a jury to determine.
Another circumstance indicated by the evidence, not heretofore disclosed, is significant. Several witnesses testified that as one approached the railroad crossing in the manner herein disclosed on the day and at the time in question the sun was in such location that it shone directly into the eyes of a driver, unless the eyes were shaded, when looking up the track for a train in the direction from which this train was coming.
Taking into consideration all of the facts and circumstances disclosed by the record herein, I fully concur in the court's opinion.
PARKER, C.J. (dissenting):
I concede this case presents a close question. However, after reviewing all the evidence in the light of the rule announced in paragraph 2 of the syllabus, I have become convinced that under the existing facts and circumstances negligence of the driver of the involved automobile was the proximate and legal cause of this tragic accident. In that situation I am constrained to conclude the trial court should have sustained the demurrer to the evidence on that basis, hence this dissent.
PRICE, J., dissenting:
I do not agree to the disposition being made of this case and think that the demurrer was correctly sustained.
As between these two litigants, the crux of this case is proximate cause. Plaintiff's own testimony affirmatively establishes that he saw the train and warned the driver in ample time for him to slow or stop. The warning went unheeded. Assuming, but not conceding, the whistle was not blown, the fact remains that had it been blown the act of doing so would not have given any further notice to plaintiff than what he already had, and which he had already imparted to the driver. Negligence, in order to be actionable, must constitute the proximate cause of an injury. From plaintiff's evidence it is not even debatable that the sole proximate cause of this unfortunate collision was the negligence of the driver in driving his automobile into the side of the train.
In my opinion the decision reached in this case tends "to mold the law to fit the facts," whereas the proper function of courts is to measure the facts in the light of established law!
I would affirm the ruling below, and therefore respectfully dissent.