All
opinions are subject to modification and technical correction prior to official
publication in the
NO. COA08-802
Filed: 19 May 2009
CHARLES ROGER HOLLOWAY,
Executor of the Estate of
LOIS RAPER HOLLOWAY,
Deceased,
Plaintiff,
v.
I.C.
File No. TA-18353
N.C. DEPARTMENT OF CRIME
CONTROL & PUBLIC SAFETY/
N.C. HIGHWAY PATROL,
Defendant.
DENNIS EDGAR BORING and
JUDITH BORING BODNAR,
Co-Administrators of the
Estate of BLANCHE RAPER
BORING, Deceased, and
JUDITH BORING BODNAR,
Individually,
Plaintiffs,
v. N.C.
Industrial Commission
I.C. No. TA-18354
N.C. DEPARTMENT OF CRIME
CONTROL & PUBLIC SAFETY/
N.C. HIGHWAY PATROL,
Defendant.
Appeal
by plaintiffs from an opinion and award of the Full Commission of the North
Carolina Industrial Commission entered 8 May 2008 by Commissioner Buck
Lattimore. Heard in the Court of Appeals
10 December 2008.
Cahoon &
Swisher, North, Cooke & Landreth, by A. Wayland Cooke and H. Davis North,
III, for plaintiffs-appellants.
Roberts &
Stevens, P.A., by Wyatt S. Stevens and Ann-Patton Nelson; and Attorney General
Roy A. Cooper, III, by Assistant Attorney General Donna Wojcik, for defendant-appellee.
JACKSON, Judge.
Charles
Holloway, Dennis Boring, and Judith Bodnar (collectively, “plaintiffs”) appeal
from a decision and order of the Full Commission of the North Carolina
Industrial Commission (“Full Commission”) denying plaintiffs’ negligence claim
against the North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety,
Division of State Highway Patrol (“defendant”).
For the reasons set forth below, we affirm.
On 17
July 2003, at approximately 3:00 p.m., Trooper Kenneth Hyde (“Trooper Hyde”)
was driving westbound on
In an
effort to evade Trooper Hyde, the black BMW crossed over the grass median to
head west. Trooper Hyde followed by
crossing the grass median to pursue the westbound BMW. Trooper Hyde alerted Cherokee County Deputy
Mashburn (“Deputy Mashburn”), who was stationary just ahead. As the BMW approached Deputy Mashburn, the
BMW crossed the median once more — now heading eastbound. Trooper Hyde and Deputy Mashburn gave chase
across the median again. Trooper Hyde
then notified the State Highway Patrol center in
The
State Highway Patrol center sent out an alert about the chase. Trooper Jeremy Ledford (“Trooper Ledford”)
was located at the Peachtree patrol station and responded to the alert. Trooper Hal Robertson (“Trooper Robertson”)
was off-duty, but joined Trooper Ledford in Ledford’s patrol car, a loaned, “spare”
patrol vehicle — a retired 1999 Crown Victoria with approximately 89,000 miles
on it. Trooper Ledford immediately
activated his siren and blue lights, and he proceeded toward the chase in “emergency
response” mode.
Trooper
Ledford testified that the traffic conditions were “very light,” and the
weather was clear on
During
the pursuit, Trooper Ledford passed two vehicles and then crested a hill. From the crest of the hill, the road
continues straight ahead, but slopes downhill.
Approximately 900 feet from the crest of the hill, a road leading to a
landfill intersects with eastbound
As
Trooper Ledford continued down the hill, he noticed a white Chevrolet Lumina on
westbound
On 12
February 2004, plaintiffs filed claims against defendant for damages pursuant
to the North Carolina Tort Claims Act.
On 29 and 30 May 2007, Deputy Commissioner Glenn heard the
consolidated claims. On 13 August 2007,
Deputy Commissioner Glenn filed amended decisions and orders concluding that
Trooper Ledford was grossly negligent and awarding damages to plaintiffs. Defendant appealed Deputy Commissioner Glenn’s
decisions and orders to the Full Commission.
On 12 February 2008, the Full Commission heard the matter, and by
opinion and award filed 8 May 2008, the Full Commission reversed Deputy
Commissioner Glenn’s decisions and orders.
Plaintiffs appeal.
Our
review of decisions and orders from the Full Commission “is limited to two
questions: (1) whether competent
evidence exists to support the Commission’s findings of fact, and (2) whether
the Commission’s findings of fact justify its conclusions of law and decision.” Simmons v. N.C. Dept. of Transportation,
128 N.C. App. 402, 405-06, 496 S.E.2d 790, 793 (1998) (citing Bailey v.
Dept. of Mental Health, 272 N.C. 680, 684, 159 S.E.2d 28, 31 (1968)). Pursuant to the North Carolina Tort Claims
Act, “the findings of fact of the Commission shall be conclusive if there is any
competent evidence to support them.”
N.C. Gen. Stat. §143-293 (2007) (emphasis added). “This is so even if there is evidence which
would support findings to the contrary.”
Simmons, 128 N.C. App. at 405, 496 S.E.2d at 793 (citing Bailey
v. Dept. of Mental Health, 272 N.C. 680, 683-84, 159 S.E.2d 28, 30-31
(1968)). We review the Full Commission’s
conclusions of law de novo. Gratz
v. Hill, __ N.C. App. __, __, 658 S.E.2d 523, 525 (2008) (citing Griggs
v. Eastern Omni Constructors, 158 N.C. App. 480, 483, 581 S.E.2d 138, 141
(2003)).
Initially,
we address plaintiffs’ argument that the Full Commission’s finding of fact
number 14 is not supported by competent evidence. We disagree.
The
Full Commission’s finding of fact number 14 provides that
Trooper Souther adamantly disagreed with
plaintiff’s accident reconstruction expert, John Flanagan, that Trooper Ledford
should have considered swerving left instead.
Troopers are trained never to steer left into oncoming traffic, never go
left of the double yellow lines, and to never go left when you’re going to be
meeting a vehicle head on. If Trooper
Ledford had swerved left, Mrs. Boring could have stopped in her lane of travel
and Trooper Ledford would likely have collided with the rear portion of her
car. If Mrs. Boring continued on,
Trooper Ledford would have swerved into the grassy median and straight into the
oncoming lanes of westbound traffic on
Plaintiffs
contend that their accident reconstruction expert, John F. Flanagan (“Flanagan”),
never stated that Trooper Ledford should have swerved into oncoming
traffic. Contrary to plaintiff’s
characterization of the Full Commission’s finding, the Full Commission did not
find that Flanagan suggested Trooper Ledford should have swerved into oncoming
traffic. Instead, the Full Commission
found that Flanagan suggested “that Trooper Ledford should have considered
swerving left instead.” Flanagan
testified that if Trooper Ledford had swerved to the left instead of to the
right, and if everything else had remained the same, Trooper Ledford would have
avoided the collision.
However,
Trooper Dan Souther (“Trooper Souther”) testified that he “totally disagree[d]
with this thinking.” He explained that, “[b]eing
a trooper and being trained by the [Highway] [P]atrol, I’ve heard over and over
and over again you never steer left into oncoming traffic, never go left of the
double yellow lines, never go left where you’re going to be in — meeting a
vehicle head on . . . .” Trooper Souther
further testified that if Trooper Ledford had gone left, and Boring had stopped
her forward motion, Trooper Ledford would have “hit her all the same.” If Trooper Ledford had gone left, and Boring
had continued her forward motion, he might have avoided the collision, but he
would not have been able to avoid going onto and across the grass median into
traffic on the westbound lanes.
Therefore, Trooper Souther stated that “going right was [Trooper Ledford’s]
only option.” Accordingly, we hold the
Full Commission’s finding of fact number 14 is supported by competent
evidence. See Simmons, 128 N.C.
App. at 405-06, 496 S.E.2d at 793.
Next,
we address plaintiffs’ argument that the Full Commission erred in making
findings of fact numbered 7, 16, and 18 and conclusion of law number 2.
The
Full Commission found as follows:
7. As the two vehicles in front of Trooper
Ledford cleared the intersection with the landfill entrance where the Lumina
was stopped, the Lumina suddenly and without warning pulled out in front of
Trooper Ledford. Trooper Ledford
immediately made a hard, evasive turn to the right to avoid a collision. As Trooper Ledford’s vehicle swerved into the
right lane, the Lumina continued forward and a collision occurred in the right
lane of
. . .
.
16. The undersigned find as fact based upon
the greater weight of the evidence that it was reasonable for Trooper Ledford
to assume that the White Lumina driven by Mrs. Boring would not pull out in
front of him. Mrs. Boring allowed the
two vehicles in front of Trooper Ledford to clear the intersection. It is reasonable that Trooper Ledford
believed Ms. Boring had seen everyone, including him[,] and would allow Trooper
Ledford through the intersection before pulling out in his path of traffic.
. . .
.
18. The undersigned find based upon the
greater weight of the evidence that Trooper Ledford’s actions while driving in
emergency response mode in order to assist Trooper Hyde were justified and did
not rise to the level [of] gross negligence.
In
relevant part, the Full Commission’s conclusion of law number 2 provides that “[b]ased
upon the greater weight of the competent evidence[,] Trooper Ledford’s actions
did not rise to [the] level of gross negligence.”
Rather
than attempting to show that the Full Commission’s findings of fact numbered 7,
16, and 18 are unsupported by competent evidence, plaintiffs attempt to re-litigate
the case on appeal by highlighting evidence contrary to the Full Commission’s
findings. However, we are bound by the
Full Commission’s findings if they are supported by any competent evidence,
even if evidence appears to the contrary.
See N.C. Gen. Stat. §143-293 (2007); Simmons, 128 N.C.
App. at 405, 496 S.E.2d at 793.
In the
case sub judice, Trooper Ledford testified that he was traveling
eastbound on
The
parties stipulated that decedents were traveling together in the Lumina driven
by Boring and that decedents died as a result of the collision. Trooper Ledford testified that he missed
eighteen months of work from injuries he sustained as a result of the
collision. Trooper Ledford’s injuries
included “some lacerations to the forehead, a broken nose, broken ribs[,] and a
hip injury that required surgery.”
Trooper
Souther created an accident reconstruction report of the collision, and he
testified that
[Trooper Ledford] had the right of way. .
. . Even if [Trooper Ledford] had not
had his blue light and siren on, which he did, he would still have the right of
way. [Boring] has to wait until it’s clear — to attempt to make a left turn or
even make a U-turn, she has to wait until it’s clear to do so.
As
explained, supra, Trooper Souther further testified that Trooper Ledford’s
only option was to swerve to the right to avoid the collision because (1)
troopers are trained never to swerve left and cross the double yellow line into
oncoming traffic; (2) if Trooper Ledford had swerved left, and Boring stopped
her forward motion, Trooper Ledford still would have hit the Lumina; and (3) if
Boring continued her forward motion, and Trooper Ledford swerved left, he could
have crossed the grass median into oncoming, westbound traffic.
Although
Captain Randy Campbell (“Captain Campbell”), Trooper Ledford’s commanding
officer at the time, did not supervise this high-speed pursuit, he testified
that he reviewed Trooper Souther’s accident reconstruction report, audio and
video tapes of the collision, and depositions.
Captain Campbell opined that it was appropriate for Trooper Ledford to
respond to the call in emergency response mode and that, if he had monitored
the chase, he would not have told Trooper Ledford to do anything differently.
Accordingly,
we hold that the Full Commission’s findings of fact numbered 7, 16, and 18 are
supported by competent evidence.
Next,
we inquire whether the Full Commission’s findings of fact support its
conclusion of law number 2. See
Simmons, 128 N.C. App. at 405-06, 496 S.E.2d at 793. We hold that they do.
North
Carolina General Statutes, section 20-145 exempts police officers from speed
limitations while chasing or apprehending “violators of the law” so long as
police officers operate their vehicles with “due regard for safety.” N.C. Gen. Stat. §20-145 (2007). This exemption, however, does not protect
police officers from “the consequence of a reckless disregard for the safety of
others.”
In the
case sub judice, in support of its conclusion that Trooper Ledford was
not grossly negligent, the Full Commission found that Trooper Ledford responded
to a radio alert from the Asheville Communications Division of the Highway
Patrol, got into his patrol car, “activated his blue light and siren[,] and
proceeded toward the chase in ‘emergency response’ mode.” At some point during the pursuit, Trooper
Ledford estimated that he traveled at a speed near 100 miles per hour. Trooper Ledford traveled eastbound on U.S.
19/74, crested a hill, passed a Honda, and decelerated when he came upon two cars
ahead of him — one car in each eastbound lane.
Furthermore, from a distance of approximately 900 feet, Trooper Ledford
saw the Lumina driven by Boring come to a complete stop in the turn lane on the
westbound side of a median crossover. No
traffic lights or signs alter the flow of traffic on this portion of
However,
in an unchallenged finding of fact, the Full Commission found that, “[b]y
steering to the right, Trooper Ledford did the right thing . . . .” Also, Trooper Souther opined “that swerving
right was Trooper Ledford’s only option;” the Full Commission gave greater
weight to the testimony of Trooper Souther than to Flanagan. The Full Commission found that “it was
reasonable for Trooper Ledford to assume that the White Lumina driven by Mrs.
Boring would not pull out in front of him.”
Thus, the Full Commission concluded that “Trooper Ledford’s actions did
not rise to [the] level of gross negligence.”
We
hold that these findings of fact support the Full Commission’s conclusion of
law number 2. Furthermore, conclusion of
law number 2 comports with precedent established by our Supreme Court as well
as this Court. See, e.g., Villepigue
v. City of Danville, VA, __ N.C. App. __, 661 S.E.2d 12 (affirming summary
judgment of no gross negligence by defendant even though officer traveled in
excess of 100 miles per hour four seconds before colliding with decedent along
an unfamiliar, two-lane road during a high-speed chase), disc. rev. denied,
362 N.C. 688, 671 S.E.2d 532 (2008); Bray v. N.C. Dep’t of Crime Control and
Pub. Safety, 151 N.C. App. 281, 284-85, 564 S.E.2d 910, 912-13 (2002)
(holding no gross negligence after state trooper collided with oncoming vehicle
during pursuit after losing control due to excessive speed); Fowler v. N.C.
Dept. of Crime Control & Public Safety, 92 N.C. App. 733, 736, 376
S.E.2d 11, 13 (holding no gross negligence when officer caused a collision
after the officer traveled at approximately 115 miles per hour, without lights
or siren, through a sparsely populated area, and tried to overtake a suspect
after an eight-mile chase), disc. rev. denied, 324 N.C. 577, 381 S.E.2d
773 (1989). Cf. Jones v. City of
Durham, 168 N.C. App. 433, 608 S.E.2d 387 (2005)[Note 2] (holding a genuine issue of material fact existed as to
plaintiff’s gross negligence claim when the officer responded to another
officer’s call for assistance — rather than a police pursuit — and drove at an
excessive speed through a residential neighborhood without activating his blue
lights or siren, all of which the officer knew created a high probability of an
accident).
Trooper
Ledford’s actions did not rise to the level of gross negligence — “wanton
conduct done with conscious or reckless disregard for the rights and safety of
others.” Parish, 350 N.C. at 239,
513 S.E.2d at 551 (citation and quotation marks omitted). In response to the alert from the Highway
Patrol, Trooper Ledford immediately proceeded toward the chase eastbound on
For
the foregoing reasons, we affirm the Full Commission’s decision and order
denying plaintiffs’ negligence claim against defendant.
Affirmed.
Judges
ELMORE and STEPHENS concur.
NOTES
1.
2. The appellate history of Jones began in this Court. Jones,
168 N.C. App. 433, 608 S.E.2d 387. The
plaintiff subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court pursuant to Levinson, J.’s
dissent. Jones v. City of