Opinion ID: 1593545
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Chipman, Fryman and Ashby

Text: The cases cited by the majority of the Court of Appeals involve different issues and are clearly distinguishable on their facts. Reliance on the City of Florence v. Chipman, supra , and Fryman v. Harrison, 896 S.W.2d 908 (Ky.1995), is misplaced. All owners, operators and persons in control of motor vehicles owe a duty to all other persons using the roadway pursuant to KRS 304.39, the Motor Vehicle Reparations Act. There is nothing in that Act that exonerates police officers from the duty of care not to be negligent in the operation or control of their vehicle. Chipman has to do with whether or not an officer should have arrested someone. The fact that the officer has no duty to protect another person from a crime or accident is not an issue here. The negligence of Officer Miller and the violation of the statute made it possible for Blackwell to take the vehicle and cause it to crash. This is not a question of whether the police should have arrested someone. The case here raises the issue of ordinary care in violation of the statute. Fryman, supra , relates to a criminal defendant being released from jail without a bail bond being properly posted. The defendant was released from jail and approximately two months later assaulted the victim. Harrison argued that the jailer and the clerk were negligent in the completion of the bond revocation documents and that the jailer was negligent in releasing the prisoner. Once again, in this situation, Officer Miller violated the statutory requirement of leaving the keys in the ignition. Ashby notes that in Kentucky personal liability for a public officer's or public employee's negligent performance of the duty depends in part on whether the powers or duties in question were ministerial or discretionary. We believe the responsibilities here were ministerial rather than discretionary. Thus, we further conclude that the authorities cited do not apply. The decision of the Court of Appeals and the circuit court is reversed. The public duty doctrine does not provide a shield for the city or the officer from liability. The responsibility of the officer was to remove the key from the vehicle, and the ultimate theft of the car by the prisoner and resulting fatal accident was not an intervening or superseding event. Summary judgment was improper because the moving party was not entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. This matter is remanded to the circuit court for trial. LAMBERT, C.J., GRAVES and SCOTT, JJ., concur. McANULTY, J., dissents by separate opinion and is joined by NOBLE, J. MINTON, J., not sitting.