Friday, August 19, 2011

Driving Delusions

Breunig v. American Family Ins. Co., 173 N.W.2d 619 (1970)

Philip Breunig sued for damages received when his truck was struck by an automobile driven by Erma Veith.

The evidence established that Mrs. Veith, on her way home after taking her husband to work, saw a white light on the back of a car ahead of her. She followed this light for three or four blocks. She did not remember anything else except landing in a field, lying on the side of the road.

A psychiatrist testified Mrs. Veith told him she was driving on a road when she believed that God was taking ahold of the steering wheel and was directing her car. She saw the truck coming and stepped on the gas in order to become air-borne because she knew she could fly because Batman does it. To her surprise she was not air-borne before striking the truck -- but after the impact she was flying.

Mrs. Veith's car continued west for about a mile until the road took a gradual turn to the right. At this turn her car left the road and came to rest in a cornfield. When a traffic officer came to the car, he found Mrs. Veith sitting behind the wheel looking off into space. He could not get a statement of any kind from her.
At trial, a judgment was entered against her.

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