The accused was charged with criminal negligence causing death and dangerous driving causing death following a motor vehicle collision on Highway 427 in Toronto on August 16, 2010, which resulted in the death of the front passenger, Allison Stachyra.
At the preliminary inquiry, the Crown presented evidence of the accused's manner of driving, including testimony from civilian witnesses describing dangerous driving behavior, and expert evidence from a collision reconstruction specialist.
The defence argued that intervening factors, including the passenger's failure to wear a seatbelt and the possibility that the passenger grabbed the steering wheel, broke the chain of causation.
The court found sufficient evidence to commit the accused to trial on the charge of dangerous driving causing death, applying the minimal threshold test for committal.
