66-2,120. Failure of locomotive to sound whistle at crossing; penalties; payment to informer. An air whistle shall be attached to each locomotive engine, and shall be sounded four (4) times (two long, one short and one long blast) beginning at least eighty (80) rods from the place where the railroad shall cross any public road or street and to be prolonged or repeated until the crossing is occupied by the engine or car, except in cities and villages, under a penalty of not more than twenty dollars ($20) for every neglect of the provisions of this section, to be paid by the corporation owning the railway on the suit of the county attorney, one-half thereof to go to the informer, and the other half to the county treasurer; and the corporation shall also be liable for all damages which shall be sustained by any person by reason of such neglect: Provided, however, That such penalty shall be sued for within one (1) month from the time the cause of action accrues, and not thereafter: And provided further, That but one penalty shall be recovered in any one action.
History: G.S. 1868, ch. 23, § 60; L. 1876, ch. 60, § 1; R.S. 1923, 66-2,120; L. 1925, ch. 207, § 1; L. 1963, ch. 323, § 1; L. 1973, ch. 106, § 22; June 1.
Law Review and Bar Journal References:
Discussion of case in annotation No. 19, Lawrence A. Dimmitt, 6 W.L.J. 535, 538 (1967).
CASE ANNOTATIONS
1. Liability of company on failure to sound whistle. L.L. & G. Rld. Co. v. Rice, 10 Kan. 426.
2. Allegation of gross negligence of defendant is not essential. Central Branch Rld. Co. v. Phillipi, 20 Kan. 9, 13.
3. Law giving informer one-half the penalty held void. A.T. & S.F. Rld. Co. v. The State, 22 Kan. 1.
4. Company owed plaintiff no duty to sound whistle; when. St. L. & S.F. Rly. Co. v. Payne, 29 Kan. 166, 169.
5. Liability of company on failure to sound whistle. M.A. & B. Rly. Co. v. Stewart, 30 Kan. 226, 2 P. 151; A.T. & S.F. Rld. Co. v. Morgan, 31 Kan. 77, 1 P. 298; Mo. Pac. Rly. Co. v. Pierce, 33 Kan. 61, 5 P. 378; Clark v. Mo. Pac. Rly. Co., 35 Kan. 350, 11 P. 134; Mo. Pac. Rly. Co. v. Stevens, 35 Kan. 622, 12 P. 25; A.T. & S.F. Rld. Co. v. Townsend, 39 Kan. 115, 17 P. 804; Mo. Pac. Rly. Co. v. Pierce, 39 Kan. 391, 18 P. 305; A.T. & S.F. Rld. Co. v. Walz, 40 Kan. 433, 19 P. 787; Railroad v. Morrison, 73 Kan. 265, 85 P. 295.
6. Duty of engineer when cattle near railroad crossing. Mo. Pac. Rly. Co. v. Reynolds, 31 Kan. 132, 138, 1 P. 150.
7. Section prescribes minimum of care to be exercised in all cases. Mo. Pac. Rly. Co. v. Moffatt, 56 Kan. 667, 672, 44 P. 607.
8. Contributory negligence of plaintiff defeats recovery. Railway Co. v. Bussey, 66 Kan. 735, 746, 71 P. 261.
9. Issues set up in pleadings must not be enlarged. Railway Co. v. Griffith, 69 Kan. 130, 76 P. 436.
10. Negligence of defendant in permitting obstructions to plaintiff's view excluded. Railway Co. v. Griffith, 69 Kan. 130, 133, 76 P. 436.
11. Injury at crossing; choice of ways at traveler's risk. Railroad Co. v. Brock, 69 Kan. 448, 450, 77 P. 86.
12. Company must restore highway to original condition in constructing railroad. Railway Co. v. Townsend, 71 Kan. 524, 527, 529, 81 P. 205.
13. Duty of engineer to give signal when crossing private road. Railroad Co. v. Morrison, 73 Kan. 265, 267, 85 P. 295.
14. Automobile crossing railway track; contributory negligence of plaintiff determined. Gage v. Railway Co., 91 Kan. 253, 257, 137 P. 938.
15. Blowing of whistle held to conform to statute. Cross v. Chicago, R.I. & P. Rly. Co., 120 Kan. 58, 61, 242 P. 469.
16. Evidence of failure to whistle at other crossings held improper. Davis v. Atchison, T. & S.F. Rly. Co., 135 Kan. 96, 99, 9 P.2d 990.
17. "Steam whistle" not required on electric or combustion motor locomotives. Smith v. A.T. & S.F. Rly. Co., 145 Kan. 615, 619, 66 P.2d 562.
18. Discussed; accident crossing railway tracks; plaintiff held contributorily negligent; no recovery. Horton v. Atchison, T. & S.F. Rly. Co., 161 Kan. 403, 415, 168 P.2d 928.
19. Failure to blow whistle held negligence per se. Kendrick v. Atchison, T. & S.F. Rld. Co., 182 Kan. 249, 258, 320 P.2d 1061.
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