Defence lawyer suggests victim of deadly 2020 Hwy 12 crash had alcohol in his system
Sigfrid Stahn sat in the courtroom on Monday as his defence lawyer tried to sway the jury to the possibility the victim, Guenter Naumann, 77, had alcohol in his system at the time of the head-on collision on Highway 12 in Waubaushene nearly three years ago.
Stahn is charged with impaired driving causing death and dangerous driving causing death in the collision on July 4, 2020.
Defence lawyer David Wilcox didn't call any evidence in the case.
Court heard that two hospital samples taken in Midland and Toronto of Naumann's blood were found to have non-detectable levels while testing from the Centre of Forensic Sciences said contradictory test results made it difficult to conclusively say how much if any, alcohol was in his system at the time of the crash.
Crown attorney Sarah Sullivan argued Stahn's pickup truck crossed the double lines at a curve in the road and crashed head-on into Naumann's convertible Mercedes.
Witnesses testified seeing a pickup truck pass another vehicle before crashing into the Mercedes, sending it airborne before it slammed onto its side on the road, telling the court the victim had little time to avoid the collision.
The Crown alleges Naumann suffered significant internal injuries before dying in the hospital a week after the crash.
Closing arguments for both sides are scheduled to begin on Thursday in a Barrie courtroom.
Justice Michael McKelvey will also instruct the jury of seven men and five women.
None of the allegations against the accused have been proven in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet
NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 again in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth hadn't sent home any understandable data since last November.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.