Ottawa

Christy Natsis impaired driving trial adjourned until spring

The Ottawa trial of a Pembroke dentist accused of impaired driving causing death will likely not resume until May at the earliest.

Trial concerning fatal crash began in November 2012

The Ottawa trial of a Pembroke dentist accused of impaired driving causing death will likely not resume until next spring.

Bryan Casey of Ottawa died from his injuries in 2011 after his pickup collided with an SUV driven by Christy Natsis on Highway 17.

Christy Natsis was charged with impaired driving causing death, dangerous driving causing death and exceeding the legal blood-alcohol limit after her SUV crashed on Highway 17 head-on with a pickup truck in March of 2011.

The driver of the pickup truck, Bryan Casey of Ottawa, died as a result of his injuries.

The trial began in November 2012 but has been delayed several times for the judge to rule on admissibility of evidence and for scheduling conflicts with the lawyers.

OPP Sgt. Mark Wright has been questioned over the way the police investigation was handled. (Laurie Fagan/CBC)

Lawyers in the case say it is likely one of the longest impaired driving trials in the country.

After sitting for four weeks this fall, lawyers will meet next week to set a resumption date — it will likely be next May or June.

On Friday defence lawyers finished their cross-examination of Sgt. Mark Wright, the OPP's head of the technical collision investigations and reconstruction program.