Summary
In Ferri v. City of Jacksonville, 362 So.2d 345 (Fla. 1st DCA 1978), relied upon by the trial judge, the plaintiff's decedents were killed at a highway intersection when a truck collided with the car in which they were riding. The traffic light at the intersection was undergoing repairs and during that period it was set so that a continuous red light flashed in the direction being approached by plaintiff's automobile and a continuous yellow light flashed in the direction of the truck.
Summary of this case from Pearce ex rel. Pearce v. State, Department of TransportationOpinion
Nos. II-226 to II-231.
August 9, 1978. Rehearing Denied September 25, 1978.
Appeal from the Circuit Court for Alachua County, Benjamin M. Tench, J.
Thomas W. Davis of Barton Cox, Gainesville, for appellant.
Joe C. Willcox, John R. McDonough, Orlando, Milton Baxley, II, Gainesville, Stanley Moore and Alan E. DeSerio, Tallahassee, for appellees.
Anthony J. Ferri, Sr. and Helen Ferri were killed at a highway intersection when a truck collided with the car in which they were riding. The accident occurred in Alachua County near the City of Gainesville. By agreement the City had assumed responsibility for maintenance of the traffic light at the intersection.
The personal representative of the Ferris' estates filed six suits, and now appeal from the orders that granted motions to dismiss with prejudice as to each defendant. The suit against the City of Gainesville was dismissed for failure of the plaintiff to state a cause of actionable negligence. The suit against Alachua County was dismissed for failing to state a cause of action for actionable negligence and the Department of Transportation was dismissed on the ground that residual sovereign immunity had not, by statute, been waived.
It is not necessary that we deal with the doctrine of sovereign immunity. Each complaint falls for failure to state a claim against the named defendant for actionable negligence.
The traffic intersection where the accident occurred had been controlled by a traffic light that for a number of seconds reflected a red, then a yellow, and then a green light. The traffic light became inoperative and the City of Gainesville undertook to repair the same. During the repair period, a decision was made to set the traffic light to flash a continuous red light in the direction being approached by the victims' automobile, and a flashing yellow light in the direction the truck was approaching. The victims in this accident approached the intersection, and came to a complete stop. Then, for some reason not reflected here, they proceeded into the intersection and in front of the truck.
The traffic signals had obviously served their purpose. They were sufficient to warn and to cause the person driving the Ferri automobile to come to a complete stop. Therefore, it may not be said that either defendant violated a duty to warn the victims of a dangerous intersection. A person does not have the right to require the city, county or the state to maintain any particular type of traffic light at a given time or place. See Commercial Carrier Corp. v. Indian River Cty., 342 So.2d 1047 (Fla. 3d DCA 1977), and Section 316.133, Florida Statutes (1975).
Each final judgment appealed from is AFFIRMED.
BOOTH, J., concurs.
SMITH, Acting C.J., dissents, without opinion.