{
  "id": 8614065,
  "name": "GENIE NEWTON, Administratrix, v. LEON S. BRASSFIELD and W. B. DRAKE, Receivers, et al.",
  "name_abbreviation": "Newton v. Brassfield",
  "decision_date": "1930-03-26",
  "docket_number": "",
  "first_page": "536",
  "last_page": "539",
  "citations": [
    {
      "type": "official",
      "cite": "198 N.C. 536"
    }
  ],
  "court": {
    "name_abbreviation": "N.C.",
    "id": 9292,
    "name": "Supreme Court of North Carolina"
  },
  "jurisdiction": {
    "id": 5,
    "name_long": "North Carolina",
    "name": "N.C."
  },
  "cites_to": [],
  "analysis": {
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  "last_updated": "2023-07-14T19:53:28.956258+00:00",
  "provenance": {
    "date_added": "2019-08-29",
    "source": "Harvard",
    "batch": "2018"
  },
  "casebody": {
    "judges": [],
    "parties": [
      "GENIE NEWTON, Administratrix, v. LEON S. BRASSFIELD and W. B. DRAKE, Receivers, et al."
    ],
    "opinions": [
      {
        "text": "Per, Cueiam.\nThe plaintiff\u2019s intestate was killed by a bus operated by defendant, on 22 June, 1929, about 9 :15 p.m. on Highway No. 50, in the village of Eorrestville, in Wake County, N. 0. The plaintiff\u2019s intestate left surviving him a wife and five children. The defendants\u2019 bus was going around a curve or semi-circle, and killed plaintiff\u2019s intestate on the highway. The jury.on the trial of the facts found the defendants guilty of negligence and the plaintiff\u2019s intestate guilty of contributory negligence.\nSome of the witnesses for plaintiff testified in part:\nGenie Newton: Saw her husband killed. \u201cFrom the time the light shown on him he was 129 steps away, and the bus came just like an areoplane. I saw my husband at the time the light first shone on him; he ran to get out of the way. In regard to how much time elapsed from the time the light was on him until the bus hit him, it was just like lightning.\u201d The bus was going 50 miles an hour; the road was crooked. She further testified: \u201cA driver of an automobile could see around this curve after he turned, but the bus driver could not see from where he was. The bus was twenty-nine steps from my husband when the light shone on him.\u201d On cross-examination: \u201cMy husband was hit on the right side, by the left fender of the bus. He was not trying to run across the road in front of the bus. He was trying to get out of the way of the bus. ... It was the left fender and lamp that hit him. It was turning to the left when it hit him. It was going around a curve. . . . He (my. husband) was in a curve and he could not see.\u201d In response to the question, \u201cWhat was there to keep him from seeing across an open space where it ends?\u201d witness answered, \u201cYou just could not see. It (the highway) was crooked. It was as crooked as your arm. You cannot look across and up where the curve begins. . . . He was not a deaf man, and was not hard of hearing. His hearing was all right. His eyesight was good.\u201d In response to the question, \u201cCould he see all right; do you know why he went across the road and turned back to go that way?\u201d Witness answered, \u201cHe just changed. He started slowly across the road, and he kept a slow gait until the light of the bus shined on him and then he ran. He was already in front of it when the light shined on him. The left fender struck him. It just came like that and hit him while he was running to the right side.\u201d\nW. T. Elaines testified in part: \u201cThe bus ran 220 feet after it struck Mr. Newton. It carried the body of Mr. Newton 107 feet, and it went 113 feet before it dropped the body, making a total distance of 220 feet.\u201d On cross-examination: \u201cThe bank would not interfere with the view of the man on the road, but it would interfere with the light of a bus seeing a man. A man in the center of the road could see beyond the curve if he would stop and look. If Mr. Newton stopped in the road before going on that road he could have seen that bus coming down the road. The bus was running fifty miles' per hour before it hit. ... It was a star-light night. It was not bright. There was a light where it happened on that post. ... I said awhile ago if Mr. Newton had stopped and looked towards Wake Forest he would have seen the light, but Ms back was towards Wake Forest. Tbe bus driver could not have seen across these lots and seen Mr. Newton. At a point 200 feet from where Mr. Newton was struck the light did not focus on the highway; it focused thirty feet off the highway. I was on the inside and Mr. Newton was on the outside. From where Mr. Newton started across he was in a better position to see the bus than I was.\u201d\nMrs. W. T. Baines: \u201cThe bus ran into him. When the light flashed on him he tried to run across and the bus ran on him. He was struck immediately when he ran in front of it, it was just as quick as that. He was in the center of the road as near as I could see. He left and ran into the west side right in the path of the bus. When he jumped in front of it it was just a little way from him. There was no- time to stop after the light flashed on him. He was in the center of the road when the light flashed on him, as near as I could see.\u201d\nB. V. Bridges, on cross-examination, testified: \u201cHe was not in the center of the road when the light flashed on him. He liked one step of being in the center of the road. I did not see any reason for him to jump right in front of the bus. He jumped in between and the bus was right on him. The driver did not have any time to do anything. The bus hit him as soon as he jumped in front of it.\u201d\nSome of the witnesses for the defendants testified in part:\nL>. A. Balcer: \u201cI was sitting a little behind the driver. I could have put my hand on his shirt. When I first saw Mr. Newton he was approaching the highway. Mr. Newton was not on the hard surface; he was coming toward the highway and stepped upon the highway. I could not say whether he was on the shoulder or not; he was on the east side, and came to a halt and dashed right in front of the bus. The bus was right at him. The bus was making thirty or thirty-five miles an hour. It was traveling on the right hand side of the highway. The left hand fender of the bus struck Mr. Newton. . . . There was nothing to obstruct my view of the way the wreck happened.\u201d\nIt was in evidence on - the part of defendants that the horn blew several times and further evidence to the effect that the view was unobstructed towards Wake Forest for practically 500 feet.\nJ. B. Lee, the bus driver: \u201cAt the time Mr. Newton was killed I was going south. It was running thirty or thirty-five miles per hour when Mr. Newton was killed. I have traveled the highway from Forestville a good many times in the night time. I was at all times able to see a distance of 200 feet ahead of me between the beginning of the curve and the point at which Mr. Newton was hit. I was on the right side. I was not on the left side. When I first saw Mr. Newton he was on the left side of the road, near the edge of the hard surface. He was walking on the edge of the hard surface and stopped and he turned and looked in the direction of Wake Forest. As the bus came around the curve at a slow rate of speed and I got so near to bim tbat it was impossible to stop, be dasbed and ran across tbe road right in front of tbe bus.\u201d At tbis point tbe witness was asked tbe following question: \u201cIf be bad remained where be was before be dasbed and ran across would tbe bus have bit bim at all?\u201d Answer, \u201cNo.\u201d \u201cTbe bus was within thirty feet of bim when be dasbed in front of it. Tbe left band fender and tbe headlight struck bim. When it struck bim I went all to pieces and lost my nerve, just like a man would have done in striking a human being. I was not able to stop immediately.\u201d\nIt will be noted tbat tbe jury on tbe first issue found tbe defendant guilty of negligence, and on tbe second issue tbe plaintiff guilty of contributory negligence. Several assignments of error of plaintiff relate to tbe first issue; they cannot be sustained, as tbe finding by tbe jury on tbat issue was in bis favor. We see no prejudicial error in tbe exceptions to tbe evidence and.the refusal of tbe prayers for instruction as requested by plaintiff in tbe light of tbe findings of tbe jury. As to tbe five jurors who signed tbe statement, it is well settled tbat jurors cannot be beard to impeach their verdict. We can find on tbe whole record no prejudicial or reversible error. Tbe case was submitted to tbe jury, and as triers of tbe fact we are bound by their findings. We find in law\nNo error.",
        "type": "majority",
        "author": "Per, Cueiam."
      }
    ],
    "attorneys": [
      "M. 0. Pearce and Thos. W. Puffin for plaintiff.",
      "Clyde A. Douglass and W. B. Jones for defendcunts."
    ],
    "corrections": "",
    "head_matter": "GENIE NEWTON, Administratrix, v. LEON S. BRASSFIELD and W. B. DRAKE, Receivers, et al.\n(Filed 26 March, 1930.)\n1. Highways B g \u2014 Evidence of intestate\u2019s contributory negligence in running in front of bus held sufficient.\nEvidence in this case that the plaintiff\u2019s intestate suddenly ran in front of and was killed by the defendant company\u2019s bus is held sufficient to sustain an affirmative answer to the issue of contributory negligence and bar a recovery in an action for wrongful death.\n2. Appeal and Error J e \u2014 Assignments of error on issue answered in appellant\u2019s favor will not be sustained.\nAssignments of error arising on an issue found in the appellant\u2019s favor will not be sustained on appeal.\n3. Trial G d \u2014 Jurors will not be heard to impeach their own verdict.\nJurors will not be heard to impeach a verdict after it has been rendered to and received by the court.\nAppeal by plaintiff from Harwood, Special Judge, and a jury, at Special November Term, 1929, of Waice. No error.\nTbis is an action for actionable negligence brought by plaintiff against tbe defendants for damages for killing her intestate. The defendants denied negligence and set up the plea of contributory negligence.\nThe issues submitted to the jury and their answers thereto, were as follows :\n\u201c1. Was the plaintiff\u2019s intestate, Charles T. Newton, injured and killed by the negligence of the defendants as alleged in the complaint? Answer: Yes.\n2. Did the plaintiff\u2019s intestate, Charles T. Newton, by his own negligence, contribute to his injuries and death as alleged in the defendant\u2019s answer? Answer: Yes.\n3. What amount of damages, if any, is the plaintiff entitled to recover of the defendants? Answer:.:.\u201d\nThe plaintiff made numerous exceptions and assignments of error and appealed to the Supreme Court.\nM. 0. Pearce and Thos. W. Puffin for plaintiff.\nClyde A. Douglass and W. B. Jones for defendcunts."
  },
  "file_name": "0536-01",
  "first_page_order": 606,
  "last_page_order": 609
}