Impaired driving testimony wraps up

Zachary English was the final witness to testify.

He was in the car with Beisel when the crash happened.

English said the two had a few drinks together at Rusty’s Roadhouse that night and shot some pool.

English testified that he’d bought Beisel a beer and a shot of Jack Daniels, but didn’t know how much Beisel had drank.

“It’s a bar. He seemed kind of inebriated,” English said.

English had planned on walking home, when Beisel offered him a ride.

English remembers having a conversation with Beisel, suggesting he shouldn’t drive, but saying he seemed okay.

“He wasn’t totally sober but he could get his keys in the door,” he told the court.

English remembers Beisel pulling out to cross the highway, but turning into the lane of oncoming traffic.

English testified he remembered turning to Beisel while saying something about being in the wrong lane.

As he was telling Beisel, he looked over and saw he expression, saying “it didn’t seem like he was all there.”

English said the next thing he remembers is waking up in a plane, on his way to a hospital in Calgary.

Beisel’s lawyer, Lyndon Heidinger, read a portion of the statement English gave to RCMP officers the same night as the crash.

“I got in with Curtis, I don’t recall much else.”

Once English had finished his testimony, a voir dire was called, which can be used to determine the admissibility of evidence. It comes with a publication ban.

The prosecution and the crown both gave their submissions to the judge.

Court will re-convene on December 21st.

It’s expected that the judge’s ruling on the voir dire at that time, before closing arguments are given.

by Ashley Wiebe

Impaired driving testimony wraps up

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