Opinion ID: 1839315
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the lower court erred in admitting the opinions and hearsay testimony of chief rhoads and sergeant mullins.

Text: The appellee called as witnesses Chief Rhoads and Sergeant Mullins of the Flowood Police Department. Chief Rhoads testified that numerous industries located in Flowood use large trucks, including flatbed trucks, which travel Flowood Drive. Over objection of the appellants, the lower court permitted Chief Rhoads to give his opinions and conclusions, based on hearsay evidence and his investigation of witnesses, that only one truck was dispatched from the companies in the vicinity of the accident at 4:45 a.m. and that it was a Mississippi Steel truck. Sergeant Mullins testified over objection that he investigated to determine what trucks were in the vicinity and that of five companies he investigated, they had no trucks in the area at the time of the accident. This testimony of the police officers was highly prejudicial and improper, and constitutes reversible error. Swaggart v. Haney, 363 So.2d 251 (Miss. 1978).