Opinion ID: 1201749
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: did the superior court err in holding hildebrandt comparatively negligent?

Text: In its memorandum decision the superior court made the following findings of fact relevant to the question of Hildebrandt's comparative negligence: Hildebrandt was negligent in not yielding to a police vehicle displaying emergency lights and sounding a siren. Hildebrandt's view of the Peger/Parks intersection was unobstructed and a reasonable man would have seen the police vehicle. The superior court further noted: Prior to trial the court ruled that if Williamson was displaying emergency lights/siren, Hildebrandt would be negligent per se. The court concludes that Williamson had activated the emergency lights and siren on the vehicle he was driving. The court further concludes regardless of the prior per se ruling Hildebrandt was negligent in not seeing the police vehicle and in not yielding to it. [3] Review of the relevant portions of the record persuades us that the superior court's findings of fact regarding Hildebrandt's comparative negligence are not clearly erroneous. [4] Thus we affirm the superior court's determination that Hildebrandt was comparatively negligent. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the City, we conclude that the record indicates that numerous witnesses observed the police vehicle's flashing emergency lights or heard its siren from different vantage points to the intersection. Additionally, there was testimony to the effect that a person in Hildebrandt's location immediately prior to the collision would have had an unobstructed view of Peger Road as he approached on the Mitchell Expressway. In regard to Hildebrandt's duty, 13 AAC 02.140(a) speaks to the manner of operating a vehicle when approaching an operating emergency vehicle: Upon the approach of an authorized emergency vehicle making use of a visual signal meeting the requirements of 13 AAC 04.090 [red light of specified intensity] and audible signals meeting the requirements of 13 AAC 04.210(d) [a siren of specified intensity], or a police vehicle making use of either a visual or audible signal, the driver of every vehicle proceeding in any direction shall yield the right-of-way by slowing, stopping, changing lanes or pulling to the right-hand edge of the roadway clear of an intersection to await passage of the emergency vehicle. (Emphasis added). [5]