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More witness testimony heard in fatal accident case

The lineup of witnesses continues in the trial of a former Manitoba man accused of impaired driving causing the death of his best friend and roommate.

The lineup of witnesses continues in the trial of a former Manitoba man accused of impaired driving causing the death of his best friend and roommate.

Nathan Michael Medwid, 19, died in the early hours of Dec. 5, 2006, after being ejected from a vehicle that rolled off Hwy 20, about five kilometres north of Sylvan Lake.

Preston Clifford Hanson, now 26, is being tried by judge alone before Justice Monica Bast in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench.

Crown prosecutor Tony Bell has called a number of witnesses to support his theory that Hanson was behind the wheel of the car.

Witnesses called earlier in the week testified hearing various versions of where Hanson had been seated and who was driving, including suggestions that there may have been a third person driving the car.

Police witness Cpl. Kevin Halwa, a supervisor with the Sylvan Lake RCMP at the time of the crash, testified on Thursday afternoon in a voir dire currently underway to determine the admissibility of certain evidence.

The trial opened on Tuesday and is scheduled to take three weeks.

Defence counsel Bob Sawers told the court at the outset that he anticipates it may take less time since Hanson is being tried by judge alone rather than judge and jury, as he had originally elected.