Opinion ID: 1303321
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the crash

Text: After driving the Ford Taurus home from the last repair, Kroeger testified, she refused to drive the vehicle again. However, on January 19, 1987, Kroeger agreed to pick up her mother-in-law and take her to a doctor's appointment at Immanuel hospital. Kroeger used the Ford Taurus on that occasion, and it was during the trip to the hospital that the accident in the instant case occurred. Kroeger picked up her mother-in-law in Blair, Nebraska, and brought her to Omaha. The crash occurred on 72d Street in Omaha as Kroeger was driving toward the hospital. At the point where the accident occurred and in the surrounding area, 72d Street is a four-lane street, with two lanes containing northbound traffic and two lanes containing southbound traffic. Kroeger was traveling southbound on 72d Street in the west (right) lane. As the vehicle approached the hospital, Kroeger began to move toward the east (left) southbound lane so that she could execute a left turn to enter the hospital parking lot. At the point where Kroeger began to move the vehicle into the left lane and where the front left wheel was in the left lane, the steering wheel whipped out of her hands. Kroeger sensed that she had lost control of the vehicle and pressed the brake pedal to the floor. The brake was ineffective. An eyewitness to the accident, Loyal Bridges, noticed the Kroeger vehicle as he was traveling northbound in the right-hand lane on 72d Street. Bridges testified that his attention was drawn to the Kroeger vehicle because he noticed that Kroeger was moving her hands erratically. Bridges saw the Kroeger vehicle move toward the west curb on 72d Street. Both tires on the passenger side of the Kroeger vehicle climbed up onto the curb. The Ford Taurus traveled a short distance with the passenger side tires over the curb and then came back onto 72d Street and headed toward Bridges' vehicle. Bridges testified that he brought his automobile to a stop because he was unsure where the Kroeger vehicle was going. The Kroeger vehicle reached the left-hand southbound lane of 72d Street near the median, then turned to the right and went over the embankment on the west side of 72d Street. Bridges testified that he radioed his employer and instructed the people there to call for help.