Wednesday Oct. 29, 2014 www.saobserver.net $1.25 GST Included
Trial delves into speeds
Court: Reconstructionist says ‘brake fade’ may be why officer lost control.
who was on duty that night, and chan be played. bastians testified he had left the detachment when chan crash simulations, a video, aerial radioed in and his supervisor, cpl. photos and a voice recording figured luiz Sardinha, told chan “to shut it prominently in day 4 of the trial of down” – meaning turn off the emerMicah chan, a Salmon Arm police gency lights and pull over. Sardinha officer charged with dangerous driv- also testified it was not considered a ing. pursuit as chan had radioed that the Testimony from police and ex- vehicle was ‘going away’ from him at pert witnesses on Thursday, Oct. 23 140 km/hr. in Provincial court in Salmon Arm Once in his car and heading along centred around the speed chan was 30th Street, bastians could be heard driving, the crash of his vehicle and saying, “chan, is he taking a left or a the crash of courtney egright on (Highway) 97?” gen’s. chan had already eggen, a 21-year-old crashed and his immedifrom cherryville, was ate reply sounded tentakilled when the white tive. 1997 chevrolet cavalier “We, uh, where am I she was driving crashed here?” sideways into a dump The court also saw truck just before midnight aerial photos and a video on June 20, 2013. The outlining the route. dump truck was parked Previous testimony Const. Micah in the country Kitchen put chan’s top speed beChan restaurant parking lot in tween 150 and 155 km/ RCMP offiCeR the 5200 block of Auto hr per hour at some point road in the Salmon Arm along the route. bastians Industrial Park. was asked if he knew what speed chan’s police vehicle crashed chan was travelling when he was shortly after, doing a 180-degree turn, asked to shut it down. He said no. sliding backwards down an embankrcMP Sgt. brian nightingale, an ment and coming to rest with its trunk expert in accident reconstruction, against a building on the opposite did a speed analysis as well as creatside of the road from the dump truck. ing collision simulations of the two According to earlier testimony, eg- crashes. gen had “blown through” a stop sign He testified the cavalier pushed at the Five corners intersection that the dump truck sideways 2.55 metres chan had been monitoring and he fol- and was travelling at or near 92 km/hr lowed her. chan had reported on the when it slid sideways into the truck. police radio that a vehicle was taking The maximum speed at which the off at speeds of 140 km/hr south- vehicle could have safely navigated bound towards the industrial park. the curve situated just before the defence lawyer neville Mcdou- crash site was 106 km/hr, he said. gall asked that a radio transmission between const. Kieran bastians, See Dangerous driving on page A3
By Martha Wickett ObServer STAFF
This week The sweet and savoury flavours of the Shuswap Pie Company draw TV exposure. See A25. The Silverbacks have an upand-down weekend of play. Read the highlights on A19.
Evan BuhlEr/ObServer
Sombre ceremony
Laura Remus is overcome with emotion during a memorial at the cenotaph on Saturday, Oct. 25 to pay respects to Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent. More than 50 people gathered under sombre skies, raising their voices with the singing of the national anthem and bowing their heads in a moment of silence for the two recently slain members of the Canadian Armed Forces. Royal Canadian Legion Branch #62 President Henry Butters was pleased with the turnout, particularly in view of the short notice for the impromptu ceremony. Organized as part of a national effort by veterans, Canadians from around the country gathered at their cenotaphs in a show of support and respect.
Index Opinion ....................... A6 View Point .................. A7 Life & Times ............... A8 Election 2014 ... A10-A12 Sports................A19-A21 Arts & Events ... A22-A24 Vol. 107, No. 44, 44 pages