A judge will issue a decision next month for a woman accused of impaired driving causing death and other charges in connection with an August 2017 collision near Red Deer.
The two-day trial for Bobbi Crotty, 24, who was also being tried on three charges of impaired driving causing bodily harm, wrapped up in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench on Tuesday.
Justice Monica Bast will deliver her decision on Oct. 1.
The Crown prosecutor sought to prove that Crotty was drunk when she drove her Dodge Nitro west on Hwy 11A just outside of Red Deer and collided with an eastbound Mitsubishi Lancer containing two women. The 36-year-old passenger in that vehicle died from her injuries.
Crotty’s vehicle rolled once before coming to rest on its wheels. The vehicle she collided with was thrown into the westbound lane where it collided with a third vehicle.
During the trial, Cpl. Brandon Smith testified that he smelled the strong odour of liquor on Crotty’s breath and that she admitted to having two or three drinks earlier.
Questioned by defence counsel Maurice Collard, Smith said Crotty did not appear unstable on her feet as she got up from where she was sitting in a ditch next to the highway and walked over to his police vehicle.
An RCMP forensic collision reconstructionist said his investigation showed that Crotty’s vehicle continued going straight in the left of two lanes after it merged into a single lane. Her small SUV then collided with the eastbound vehicle.
An eyewitness to the collision told court that Crotty’s vehicle passed her and then drove side by side with another vehicle. Neither vehicle appeared to change its position even though the left lane was ending.