The defendant was charged with careless driving under section 130 of the Highway Traffic Act after his Toyota Corolla collided with the rear of a KIA Sorrento SUV at an intersection controlled by traffic lights.
The Crown's case rested on the testimony of the vehicle owner who was struck and an independent witness who observed the collision.
The defendant claimed the struck vehicle had entered the intersection on a green light and then abruptly stopped on the pedestrian crosswalk when the light changed to yellow, forcing him to brake suddenly on a wet road surface.
The court found the defendant's testimony to be implausible, internally inconsistent, and contradicted by credible independent evidence.
The court determined that the defendant failed to maintain a safe following distance and speed appropriate for the wet road conditions, and that he did not exercise due diligence to avoid the collision.
The defendant was convicted of careless driving.
