RCMP testimony at trial describes chaotic scene at crash near Langham that killed father, daughter

Braydon Wolfe told paramedics "I'm so f--ked" ashe lay on the side of the highway next to his truck, with his left leg nearly severed, a Saskatoon judge heard Wednesday.

Wolfe is on trial by judge at Court of Queen's Bench, charged with two counts of criminal negligence causing deathand one of criminal negligence causing bodily harm, in connection with a collision between his truck and a car carryingMohammad, Sangin and Zohal Niazi.Mohammad,62, and his daughter Zohal,25, died in the crash.

According to RCMP, Wolfe had been driving on the wrong side of a divided highway into oncoming traffic near Langham, northwest of Saskatoon,on the night ofAug. 21, 2017.

Const. Justin Schindelsaid he observed a beer can on the shoulder of the highway near the truck,andthat Wolfe was slurring and unco-operative with paramedics. Another officer, Const. Mario Degagne, testified that he smelled beer inside the cab of the truck.

Whether Wolfe was drinking at the time of the crash dominated testimony and cross-examination Wednesday morning. Wolfe is not charged with impaired driving.

Defence lawyer Davin Burlinghamsuggested that Wolfe could have been slurring and unco-operative because of his severe injuries. He also noted that there was nothing to connect the beer can to Wolfe.

Schindel said that he considered, and rejected, making a blood demand at the hospital to test for alcohol levels because he didn't believe that Wolfe would understand. He could not give a breathalyzer because Wolfe was undergoing treatment.

• Saskatoon man on trial for 2017 highway crash that killed 2 near Langham

Degagne said the crash site "was a panic, a lot going on" when he arrived. The only illuminationcame from flashlights and emergency vehicles.

Degagne walked the 100 metres between the truck and the Niazi family's two-door Toyota Solara, checking to see whether there were other injured people that had not been found. Other drivers had stopped to help "and they were pretty shaken up,"Degagne said. Acluster of emergency workers were at the Toyota.

There were three people inside the overturned small car, two of them dead. Degagnestruggled to keep his composure on the stand as he recalled hearing Sangin Niazi, trapped in the car with her husband, Mohammad, and daughter,Zohal, calling for help.

'Front end was shredded'

Degagne testifiedthat he couldn't believe anyone in Wolfe's truck survived the collision.

"The front end was shredded."

An RCMP collision analyst detailed exactly what happens when a car and truck collide head-on at highway speed.

The force of the impact was such that it friction-burned the shoulder strap webbing on seatbelts, said Cpl. Douglas Green. He said the Niazi's car had an "event data recorder" which took readings at the time of the collision.

It showed that the Toyota lost 32 km/h in speed "in the millisecond" when they met.

Modern cars and trucks come with a sophisticated systemof airbags, padding, seatbelts and safety pillars to keep peoplesafe. In a violent accident like this, however, Green said there was "intrusion into occupant life-space."

The truck's floorboards were ripped from beneath the driver's feet, he said.

The Crown closed its case Wednesday and the defence did not call any evidence. The trial resumes Oct. 20 with closing arguments.