People v. Armitage
California Courts of Appeal
239 Cal. Rptr. 515 (1987)
Relevant factsFree
Armitage and his intoxicated friend Maskovich capsized their small boat while operating it erratically at high speed without lights or flotation devices on the Sacramento River at night, and although Armitage instructed Maskovich to stay with the overturned hull, Maskovich panicked and attempted to swim to shore, drowning in the attempt.
IssueFree
Whether a victim's predictable efforts to escape a peril created by the defendant's actions will amount to a superseding cause sufficient to break the chain of causation and exonerate the defendant.