Opinion ID: 1803793
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Render Reasonable Aid

Text: As stated above, LSA-R.S. 14:100 requires a driver of a vehicle involved in an accident to render reasonable aid. In this case, the trial court concluded that defendant failed to render reasonable aid, and the court of appeal agreed, concluding that the statute does not require a driver of a vehicle to render reasonable medical aid. It is uncontroverted that defendant made no attempt to render any type of aid, medical or otherwise, at the scene of the accident. Defendant testified that he drove to a nearby residence and alerted the authorities because he knew the best thing that could happen was get somebody there that could help. When questioned about the events following the collision, Mr. George testified: Well, I got out of my truck. I tried to use my phone to call 911, but it wouldn't work because the batteries had been tor[n] up in my truck. I went to the vehicle where the girl was and checked her. She was still alive and everything. At about the same time, there was a dump truck coming, going southbound and her car had started to catch on fire so he got up there and everything and he was on the phone calling, I guess, 911 at the time. And, anyway, I was trying to get his fire extinguisher because I knew I couldn't get to mine the way my truck was laying. So, anyway, he got out of his truck with his fire extinguisher and put the car out. And, everything, and they  the girl was trapped in the car. We couldn't do nothing. The doors  everything was jammed, you know? An I proceeded to  a bunch of people started getting there about that time. And I proceeded to go get a phone to call my office to let them know what happened and everything. Ms. Poole, the dispatcher who received the call regarding the accident testified that an unidentified male called and said there had been a wreck on the Aimwell Road around the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Road and that they needed an ambulance. It was bad. Ms. Poole further testified that after the initial call, she received several other calls notifying law enforcement about the accident. We agree with the appellate court that the LSA-R.S. 14:100 does not mandate a driver involved in an accident to render medical aid and that the statute does not define the phrase render reasonable aid. However, when a term is not defined in a statute, that term must be given its usual, prevailing meaning. Black's Law Dictionary defines reasonable as follows: fair, proper, or moderate under the circumstances; according to reason. BLACK'S LAW DICTIONARY 1272 (7th ed.1999). In this case, the lower courts concluded that leaving the scene of the accident, driving to a nearby residence to call the authorities, and not returning to the scene did not amount to rendering reasonable aid. Following the collision, Miss Morphis' vehicle caught fire. Mr. George, the driver of the 18-wheeler involved in the accident, who was injured himself, tried to assist Miss Morphis. The driver of another truck who happened upon the scene of the accident stopped to render aid by alerting the authorities and extinguishing the fire. After reviewing the record, we conclude that leaving an accident scene where person is trapped in a burning vehicle, was not fair, proper, or moderate under the circumstances. Therefore, we affirm the lower courts' findings that defendant failed to render reasonable aid under LSA-R.S. 14:100.