Impact was in victim's lane, officer testifies in Natsis trial

Gouges on the road made during the impact in the fatal head-on crash that killed an Ottawa man were in the victim's lane, according to a police collision investigator testifying at the trial of a Pembroke dentist charged with impaired and dangerous driving causing death.

Dr. Christy Natsis is facing charges of impaired driving causing death, dangerous driving causing death and exceeding the legal blood-alcohol limit in the March 2011 crash on Highway 17 that killed 50-year-old Bryan Casey.

The trial adjourned early on Tuesday after Ontario Superior Court Justice Neil Kozloff said he needed time to analyze whether testimony from Ontario Provincial Police Const. Shawn Kelly could be considered expert testimony.

On Wednesday, Kozloff agreed to let Kelly testify and said the court could decide afterward whether it should be considered expert testimony or not.

During his testimony after the judge's decision, Kelly outlined his survey of the scene on the night of the crash. He described when he arrived, what the road conditions were and the tools and light he used to assess the scene.

Kelly described two deep gouges left in the asphalt, caused when the undercarriage of the vehicle is forced down onto the highway at the point of impact.

The deepest of these gouges was 2.6 metres from the double-centre line, in the eastbound lane, said Kelly. Earlier testimony indicated Bryan Casey's white truck was driving in the eastbound lane, while the black Ford Natsis drove was going west.

Kelly also told the court he found no gouges in the westbound lane and said the majority of the debris was in Casey's lane.

The friction value of the highway was also tested, returning values between .810 and .698, which indicated that the pavement was dry, Kelly said. The average reading for dry pavement is about .750.