Opinion ID: 2590922
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 18

Heading: Did the Court of Appeals examine the wrong statute?

Text: Rhoten asserted her negligence per se claim under K.S.A. 8-1506. It permits the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle to disregard certain enumerated traffic laws when pursuing an actual or suspected criminal, if the driver activates the vehicle's lights and siren. It states: (a) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, or when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm, may exercise the privileges set forth in this section, but subject to the conditions herein stated. (b) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle may: . . . . (3) Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as such driver does not endanger life or property; . . . . (c) The exceptions herein granted to an authorized emergency vehicle shall apply only when such vehicle is making use of an audible signal meeting the requirements of K.S.A. 8-1738 and visual signals meeting the requirements of K.S.A. 8-1720.... K.S.A. 8-1506. Without explanation, the Court of Appeals treated Rhoten's claim as if she alleged a violation of K.S.A. 8-1738(d), which states: (d) Every authorized emergency vehicle shall be equipped with a siren ... but such siren shall not be used except when such vehicle is operated in response to an emergency call or in the immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, in which said latter events the driver of such vehicle shall sound said siren when reasonably necessary to warn pedestrians and other drivers of the approach thereof.  (Emphasis added.) The statutes are not identical, even though K.S.A. 8-1738(d) is referenced in K.S.A. 8-1506 and both statutes impose a requirement upon drivers of authorized vehicles to activate their sirens. In K.S.A. 8-1506, the statute referenced by Rhoten, the emergency vehicle driver is required to activate the signal if violating the enumerated traffic laws. In K.S.A. 8-1738, the driver is required to activate the siren when reasonably necessary to warn others of the vehicle's approach. Appellate courts do not ordinarily consider issues the parties failed to raise unless an issue's consideration is necessary to serve the ends of justice or to prevent the denial of fundamental rights. State v. Adams, 283 Kan. 365, 367, 153 P.3d 512 (2007). No such circumstances are presented in this case, and Rhoten makes no claim that there was such justification for the Court of Appeals to analyze her claim under a different statutory basis than the one she asserted in her petition. The Court of Appeals erred and should have considered Rhoten's claim under K.S.A. 8-1506.