68 Iowa 559 | Iowa | 1886
The negligence stated in the petition is that a train of cars on defendant’s road was, without any fault on plaintiff’s part, “ negligently, without sounding the whistle or bell, and without any person being in charge of the last car of said train, and without giving any alarm of the moving of said train, caused to run back across said highway, and struck plaintiff’s wagon.” The train consisted of the
The plaintiff testifies: “After it [the train] passed the crossing about three or four yards it came to a stand. We thought to ourselves we were all right; and I told the boy when the train stopped we were all right, — to drive on. * * * I was watching the train at the time to see whether it was going up or coming back. I thought it might back up, — -that-was what I had my eye out for. I did not tell my son to go ahead until the train came to a stand. * * * I didn’t think when it passed that it would back up. When it came to a stop I thought it would stop there.”
Under the circumstances above stated, with nothing to engage or distract his attention, the plaintiff made the effort to cross the track. The plaintiff “ thought the train might back up,” and yet he made the attempt to cross the track at the very moment the train stopped, without waiting to see
Reversed.