Victim of a violent Whitehorse car accident gives emotional testimony

Yukon Territorial Court heard an emotional testimony from a woman who was badly injured in a violent car accident last year.

It was the first day of trial for a 48-year-old man Mark McCluskey, accused of causing an accident while impaired.

He is charged with two counts each of impaired driving causing bodily harm, blood alcohol at or over limit, causingaccident causing bodily harm, and dangerous operation of a vehicle causing bodily harm. McCluskeypleaded not guilty in Territorial Court of Yukon.

Each of these charges comes with a prison term up to 10 years.

On Friday, Naomi Blindheim told the court that she was driving down Hamilton Boulevard on Jan. 20, 2017, to get a coffee from Tim Hortons before taking her son to school.

It was around 9:30 a.m. when she saw a black car in the opposite lane swerve hitting the ditch.

She said she remembers thinking "this is going to hurt" as the car came towardher, flipping and landing upside-down onher hood.

Pictures shown in court reveal that both cars were destroyed.

The black car remained upside down on top of Blindheim's hood, with three people trapped inside.

Blindheim suffered fractured ribs, a broken cheekbone and nose, facial lacerations and a concussion.

She spent two nights in Whitehorse General Hospital before being medevaced to Vancouver.

Driver's eyes were 'glassy,' says officer

Judge Michael Cozens and the court also heard from Const. Emma Leslie who attended the scene of the accident.

She testified the driver of the car that flipped was Mark McCluskey, who she said she knew from previous encounters fromhis job at the Salvation Army.

She saidshe could smell alcohol on him and his eyes were "glassy."

The court also heard from a collisions expert, Const. Shean Kidd, who said the road conditions that day were typical for the time of year.

Defence lawyer Joni Ellertonquestioned Kidd aboutthe accident, asking if it could have been caused by hitting an ice patch.

Kidd told the court he couldn'tsay what caused the accident just what the vehicle did.

The court also heard from a blood alcohol expert Clifton Ho.

The lawyers will make their submissions on Nov. 29.

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