Court Opinion

ID: 9654099
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 18:05:57.06838+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:13:05.870418
License: Public Domain

On Rehearing.
CRAMER, Justice.
Appellants have filed a strong motion for rehearing in which they assert that “the jury absolved Womack of all acts of negligence except that of speed. It is to be remembered that the appellants do not contend that speed may not, in all wrong side of the road collision cases that speed may never be a proximate cause of the collision. The appellants do contend that under the facts of this case, speed was not a proximate cause of this collision.” And that, “The case of Davis v. Younger Bros. [Inc., Tex.Civ.App.], 260 S.W.2d 637, writ refused, n. r. e., is directly in point. This case also cites Wright v. McCoy [Tex.Civ.App.], 131 S.W.2d 52, which is also in point. The court cites Southland-Greyhound Lines v. Richardson [126 Tex. 118], 86 S.W.2d 731.”
In our further discussion of the case here we will not repeat the factual situation set out in the original opinion except where necessary in the interest of clarity, and since in passing on whether or not the evidence as a matter of law shows the speed of the Womack automobile not to *702be a proximate cause, we will, under the settled rule, consider only the evidence favorable to the verdict. The facts in Davis v. Younger Bros., Inc., clearly distinguish that case from the one here involved. The collision there occurred on a bridge. The speeding car, as said in the opinion, “was boxed in on both sides with only one clear lane” [260 S.W.2d 639] ahead of it. Nothing, therefore, that the truck could have done would have avoided the collision. Highway 77, on which the accident here involved occurred, had wide graveled shoulders on each side of the pavement. The north side of Crosby Road dead-ended in Highway 77 at about the point of the collision. The evidence here shows that the automobile ahead of the truck veered slightly to the right and angled off the road, and as the Hazelwood truck passed around it while it was slowing down and angling off the road, it went over some few feet onto its left side of the Highway. The evidence most favorable to the verdict also shows that the left fender of the gravel truck was hit by the left fender of the Dodge. Under such evidence this case, in our opinion, is not controlled by, or in conflict with, but is clearly distinguishable from the Davis v. Younger Bros, case. Neither do we consider Wright v. McCoy, cited in the Davis case, to be in conflict with our opinion here, but also clearly distinguishable. In the case here the automobile ahead of the Hazelwood truck started to, or appeared to be starting to, turn left off of Highway 77 “into Crosby Road,” and then turned back to the right and angled off the road to the right; at the same time appellees’ truck, when the car ahead angled left, turned slightly to the right, and when the car ahead turned back to its right, he (appellee) turned back left and crossed the center line so that at the time of the accident the left side of the truck was across the center line. All the above movements occurred as the Womack automobile was approaching the scene at a high rate of speed.
Under such record proximate cause as to speed or failure to reduce speed was for the jury, and it would have been error not to submit such issues to the jury if requested.
Under such record we properly affirmed the trial court’s judgment.
Motion for rehearing overruled.