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.
As he approached the exit, he said he looked east and noticed traffic coming.
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.
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.
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.
Lethbridge Police Service Cst. Brent Paxman also testified Thursday.
Paxman was qualified as an expert in collision analysis and reconfiguration.
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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.
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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