147 Ky. 12 | Ky. Ct. App. | 1912
Opinion of the Court by
Affirming.
This is an appeal from the Boyd Circuit Court rendered at its March term, 1911, in favor of appellee, for the sum of $5,000.00. The action was instituted against the railway company and one of its engineers, Ed Brewer, for the alleged negligent killing of David Hall, hy one of the railway company’s fast passenger trains near Ashland, Ky-, on February 17, 1906. The scene of the accident was at a public crossing which marks the western corporation boundary of the city of Ashland. At the time of his death Hall was driving a horse hitched to a spring wagon. He started his travel in the city of Ashland, continued along.a road within the city limits for a considerable distance parallel with the railroad and in the same direction from which the train was coming. He continued this course until he reached the corporation limits at which place a pike crosses the road upon which he was traveling, at right angles, and he here turned south and towards the railroad intending to cross it at the new turnpike crossing which runs at right angles with the railroad. There were two tracks at this crossing and Hall had passed over one and was entering upon the other when he was struck and instantly killed by this passenger train, moving at the rate of fifty or sixty miles an hour. Obstructions along the
In the case of L. & N. R. R. Co. v. Lucas, 30 Ky. L. R., 359; 98 S. W., 308, the facts and circumstances were very similar to those in the case at bar and the lower court instructed the jury as it did in this case and this court said:
“We think the law in respect to every aspect of the case was correctly and fairly given the jury by the instructions, and the record throughout manifests the admirable care, impartiality and ability with which the special judge conducted the trial. As the instructions given embrace all the law of the case, it was not error to refuse those asked by appellant.”
1 The same can be said of the instructions and the .judge who tried this case. Appellants claim that the speed of the train was no evidence of negligence on their part and that the jury should have been so instructed, and refer to several authorities to support their claim. 'These authorities have reference to the movement of trains in the country or thinly populated communities and do not apply to the management of trains at crossings in and near to a city or populous-communities where there is much travel. It was some evidence of negligence of those in charge of the train.
Appellants complain of another part of the instruction which is as follows:
“The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Company or its co-defendant, Ed Brewer, as its engineer in charge of the engine that struck and killed David Hill, or the other servants of said railway company in charge of the train inflicting said injury, failed to so ring the bell of said engine or sound the whistle, as herein set out. ’ ’
It was technically improper to use the words italicised but not prejudicial in this case. The evidence shows that no persons were in charge of the movement of the train at the time of the accident except Brewer, the engineer, and the fireman. There is not an intimation in the evidence that any other member of the crew had anything to do with the movement of the train, but the court should have inserted the words “or the fireman” in lieu of the italicised words above. This court has repeatedlv approved instructions that contained
Finding no error prejudicial to the substantial rights of appellants, the judgment is affirmed.