Defence questions crash data authenticity at day 3 of Collicutt trial
CBC News | Posted: September 13, 2017 4:30 PM | Last Updated: September 13, 2017
Crown prosecutor says crash data shows Collicutt was driving dangerously fast
The defence at the Gregory Collicutt trial is questioning the authenticity of the event data recorder police say they recovered following a deadly car crash two years ago.
Lawyer Peter Ghiz argued in court Wednesday that the device may not have come from the Chevrolet Impala that Collicutt was driving.
The RCMP officer who downloaded the data, Const. Frank Stevenson, referred to the car as a Malibu at one point during Wednesday's testimony.
Ghiz also questioned how police retrieved the device from the wreckage and who handled it once it was removed from Collicutt's car.
Crash data
Const. Stevenson testified that crash data showed Collicutt was driving between 95 km/h and 117 km/h.
He also said the recorder indicated the gas pedal was pushed to the floor, that Collicutt didn't apply the brakes, but that one second before impact the gas pedal was no longer being held to the floor.
The defence pointed out police did not inspect the gas or brake pedals of Collicutt's car.
67-year-old Dorothy Mayhew died following the two-vehicle collision in Central Bedeque in Oct. 2015.
The Crown case concluded Wednesday afternoon. The defence will begin to present its case Thursday morning. Ghiz said that will include an expert witness who will discuss "unintentional acceleration" due to gas pedal malfunction.
Collicutt has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing death.
The case is being heard by a judge and jury in Summerside Supreme Court.
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