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Defendant in Lethbridge careless driving trial testifies

Click to play video: 'Defendant testifies at Lethbridge careless driving trial'
Defendant testifies at Lethbridge careless driving trial
More Lethbridge police officers testified at a careless driving trial on Thursday. Neil Skjodt testified too. He faces one charge under the Traffic Safety Act related to an incident where a young pedestrian was killed. Erik Bay has more on the trial’s fourth day of testimony – Sep 1, 2022

Defense counsel Greg White called his only witness, defendant Neil Skjodt, to the stand Thursday afternoon.

Skjodt faces one count of careless driving under the Traffic Safety Act, related to an incident in April 2020 where 10-year-old Charles McIntyre died after being hit by an SUV.

Skjodt said he was leaving the No Frills in The Crossings shopping plaza and planned to head west on Whoop-Up Drive.

Click to play video: 'Lethbridge police officers testify as careless driving trial enters 3rd day'
Lethbridge police officers testify as careless driving trial enters 3rd day

As he approached the exit, he said he looked east and noticed traffic coming.

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Skjodt told court he panned his vision from east to west and did not notice any pedestrians as he approached Whoop-Up Drive.

He testified he’s unsure if he stopped before the crosswalk, only that he knew he stopped before entering the roadway.

According to Skjodt, the cars passed and he tracked them with his eyes until he was looking ahead of his intended path, which he says was clear.

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Skjodt said he took his foot off the brake and began to move forward, unsure how quickly he pressed on the gas pedal.

He then noticed an object at the driver side quarter panel which “quivered then sank”.

Skjodt told court he also heard a thump and felt a force against his vehicle.

Click to play video: 'Careless driving trial continues with bystander testimony on day 2'
Careless driving trial continues with bystander testimony on day 2

After checking his mirrors, Skjodt said he pulled over on Whoop-Up Drive, exited his SUV and saw a man holding something that may have been a body.

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Lethbridge Police Service Cst. Brent Paxman also testified Thursday.

Paxman was qualified as an expert in collision analysis and reconfiguration.

He told court he determined the area of impact to be the crosswalk based on three red droplets Paxman believed to be blood on the white lines, which the officer noted in his report on the incident.

He determined the area of final rest to be a red spot south of the crosswalk, thought to be more blood.

Paxman said he used that information in three formulas to determine the speed the SUV was travelling at impact, which he testified gave a speed between 18 and 23 km/h.

On cross-examination, White pointed out the droplets in the crosswalk were not photographed.

White zoomed-in on the crosswalk on a wide-angle photograph of the roadway and asked Paxman if there was any blood in the photo, to which Paxman replied he couldn’t see any.

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The prosecution will cross-examine Skjodt on Friday, then closing statements from each side are expected before the case is given to the judge.

It’s not known when a decision might be handed down.

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