I'm driving down the road and come to a stop sign. I stop and put my turn signal on to show that I want to turn left onto the main road.
A few seconds later, a car comes up to a stop sign across from me on the other side of the road. He wants to go straight across the road. He got there a few seconds after I had already stopped.
After looking both ways, I begin to make the turn; however, at the same time, he begins to go straight, driving right into my path. I swerve and avoid hitting him, but now he says he had the right of way, because he was going straight. I say it doesn't matter which way we're going, because I got to the sign first; I had the right of way. If we had both arrived at the same time, he would have had the right of way.

Who's right?

I always assume straight has the right away. Even if i pull up to a stop sign first I usually let the person going straight go first. Simply because the person going straight has in their mind I am going straight I have the right of way.

Sorry, spitvenom, that was my friend who said your answer was not accurate. I really do value your opinion. Thanks for helping me out!

Where I'm from, if you are at a stop LIGHT, regardless of who gets there first, the person going straight has the right of way. If you are at a stop SIGN, the person who stops first has the right of way-regardless of which direction they are going.

I scoured the Missouri DMV rules and examples but could not duplicate the conditions you describe.
I believe the vehicle that is turning has to yield the right-of-way. If both vehicles were continuing straight across, there is no rule about who goes first (I realize it doesn't matter) so the straight thru guy has equal right to proceed and left turns must always yield to straight thru.

Ok, two cars, the one at stop SIGN first has the right of way.

My question is why did you sit there the entire time he was stoping and seconds latter.

Most likely they thought you were waiting on them or something, since you did not move out sooner.

But the first person to a stop sign has the right of way.

At a stop light, then the person turning has to wait for the person going straight

I scoured the Missouri DMV rules and examples but could not duplicate the conditions you describe.
I believe the vehicle that is turning has to yield the right-of-way. If both vehicles were continuing straight across, there is no rule about who goes first (I realize it doesn't matter) so the straight thru guy has equal right to proceed and left turns must always yield to straight thru.

Yes, like I said, if you are at a stop SIGN-whoever gets to the stop SIGN first, has the right of way-regardless of which way they are going. If you are at a stop LIGHT-then the person who is going straight forward goes first.

Oh I agree the person who gets to the stop sign first has the right of way. But I always let the person going straight go first. It's just my driving habit.

Flute don't worry about it I don't pay attention to greenies and red things :)

By the way, the reason I sat so long at the sign was because I was waiting for cross traffic to clear. Once I had looked both ways several times, I then made my turn.

Does anyone know how I can edit my question to add things?

i am from Missouri as well. here's how it is:
if 2 cars pull to stop signs at same time, regardless of where they are going, the person to the right has the right-of way ALWAYS.

i am from Missouri as well. here's how it is:
if 2 cars pull to stop signs at same time, regardless of where they are going, the person to the right has the right-of way ALWAYS.

I agree with this. But, whoever pulls up at a stop Sign FIRST, has the right of way. It's a different story if they pull up at the same time.

Yes, this is correct.