Campeau v. Lewis

The case involves an automobile collision near the T-intersection of the "Hassel Road" with U.S. Highway 287 about one mile north of Townsend, Montana, which occurred at about 8:00 p.m. on September 18, 1959. The plaintiffs son, Paul Campeau, was proceeding north on the highway with Miss Jean Greaves, his date for the evening. They were passing the time until a social event would begin back in Townsend, and intended to drive out the highway and then turn around and go back to town. The defendant, Thomas Lewis, and his son were driving behind young Campeau in their pickup truck on their way back to Helena. The area of the accident is about 150 feet north of a bridge across the Missouri River where the - Page 545 "Hassel Road" joins the highway on the west side. Between the bridge and the "Hassel Road," to the west of the highway, is an area that may be used for turning around. In addition, the area to the east of the highway here is also somewhat usable for this purpose. The record indicates that this is not a conventional turn around area but only a widening of the shoulder of the highway that is popularly used, at least by the high school students, for turning around. On the right side travelling northerly it is a widening of the shoulder, on the left hand side it is a widening of the shoulder also but it is necessary to drop down off the paved highway and onto the cleared area.