Man driving other boat struck by vessel captained by Linda O'Leary testifies in Parry Sound courthouse
The man involved in a deadly boat crash two years ago on Lake Joseph testified in the Parry Sound courthouse Tuesday about the day another boat driven by Linda O'Leary hit the vessel he was aboard.
Dr. Richard Ruh told the court he took over captaining the boat on the night of Aug. 24, 2019, from its owner, Dr. Irv Edwards, about five minutes into their group's stargazing trip when he saw boat lights approaching.
Ruh testified that by the time he counted to five in his head, they had been struck by the other vessel. He estimated it was travelling roughly 20 miles per hour at the time.
The boat that struck Edward's had Linda and Kevin O'Leary onboard, with Linda at the helm, according to an agreed statement of facts read on Monday in court.
Ruh said the boat carrying the O'Leary's climbed above the waterline and slammed into the vessel, hitting Gary Poltash, 64, from Florida, and Suzana Brito, 48, from Uxbridge, Ont., who were seated at the front.
Ruh told the court Poltash suffered a blow to his head, and Brito wasn't breathing. He said he gave her CPR, getting her breathing again, adding Poltash died on the dock while Brito passed away days later.
The doctor also testified he is a defendant in six civil suits connected to the deadly collision, including a charge of failing to exhibit a navigation light while underway.
On Tuesday, he said the lights were on. Defence lawyer Brian Greenspan disagreed.
Greenspan said Ruh had given earlier statements saying the moonlights on the boat were off, and surveillance video made the boat appear invisible.
"Your boat was unlit until after the collision," Greenspan said to Dr. Ruh, who differed.
Ruh told the court he paid a $125 ticket for not having the navigation light on - a ticket he contested for more than a year. He signed an attestation of "neither innocence nor guilt."
Linda O'Leary, the wife of celebrity businessman and former politician, Kevin O'Leary, is charged with careless operation of a vessel - she has pleaded not guilty.
Legal analysts said a guilty verdict would make way for lawsuits in civil court.
The trial continues on Wednesday, with two women from the Buffalo area who were said to be on the boat at the time of the crash testifying.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.