Jury delivers verdict in 2020 deadly Highway 12 impaired driving case
Warning: Content in this article may be distressing for readers.
Georgian Bay Township man Sigfrid Stahn has been found guilty of impaired driving causing death in the 2020 Highway 12 crash that claimed the life of 77-year-old Midland man Guenter Naumann.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
During closing submissions Thursday, Crown Attorney Sarah Sullivan urged the jury of seven men and five women to hold 71-year-old Stahn responsible for his actions on July 4, 2020.
"He chose to put that truck into drive, and he did it while he was impaired," she stated. "Guenter Naumann would be the one to pay the ultimate price."
According to the Crown, Stahn was intoxicated and swerving in and out of the eastbound lane when he crossed double yellow lines into oncoming westbound traffic, ultimately crashing into Naumann's Mercedes convertible.
Naumann was airlifted to Sunnybrook in Toronto and died of his injuries days later.
Sullivan called the crash a "senseless head-on collision" that "claimed an innocent life."
She pointed to evidence of blood alcohol concentration collected from Stahn while in the hospital hours after the crash.
The toxicologists from the Centre of Forensic Sciences found Stahn's blood test to be over the legal limit at the time of the collision through back calculations.
Throughout the two-week trial, Stahn didn't dispute his blood alcohol level.
A pickup truck and convertible car are pictured after a deadly head-on collision on Highway 12 in Waubaushene, Ont., on July 4, 2020. (Source: OPP/Court Exhibit)
Stahn's lawyer, David Wilcox, asked the jury to consider why Naumann couldn't avoid the crash by steering away from the oncoming pickup truck, arguing the Midland man had time to react.
The defence urged the jury to consider whether Naumann had been on the phone at the time of the crash or if alcohol found in his body prevented him from reacting.
A pickup truck and convertible car are pictured after a deadly head-on collision on Highway 12 in Waubaushene, Ont., on July 4, 2020. (Source: OPP/Court Exhibit)
Earlier this week, 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.
Rejeanne Lachapelle was married to Naumann for 28 years and spent every day in the courtroom hoping for justice.
"I'll miss him. I'll always miss him," she said, and implored anyone who drinks and gets behind the wheel, "Please, please don't do it. It's not worth it."
"He's going away," said Lachapelle's sister, Ruth Roberts, after hearing Stahn's guilty verdict. "We're so glad it's over. It's been a long time. It's dragged out quite a bit."
"We got you justice," Roberts added as a message to her late brother-in-law.
Justice Michael McKelvey will hand down his sentencing at a later date.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Bayer recalls hydraSense baby product over 'potential contamination'
Bayer announced Thursday it is recalling two lots of its hydraSense Baby Nasal Care Easydose due to a potential contamination.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.