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Beisel trial to resume January 25

Jan 8, 2018 | 9:36 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The trial for a Cypress County man facing multiple charges in connection with a collision near Dunmore in 2015 is set to resume again later this month.

Curtis Beisel was last in court on December 21, 2017, where the judge for the trial ruled his Charter right to obtain counsel was breached, which would render blood evidence taken by police following the collision inadmissible. During the trial, Beisel’s lawyer Lyndon Heidinger submitted a voir dire, arguing three of Beisel’s Charter rights were breached, which would render blood evidence taken by police inadmissible. The judge ruled two rights were not breached, due to the circumstances st the scene.

Beisel, 56, is facing 12 charges, including four counts of of impaired operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm, four counts of exceeding .08 causing bodily harm and four counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm in connection with the incident of Dec. 17, 2015.

It is alleged Beisel was driving a Chrysler sedan the wrong way in the westbound lanes of the Trans-Canada Highway, when it collided with a van carrying a family of four, seriously injuring three people, including an infant that was one week old at the time.

The passenger in Beisel’s car also suffered injuries.

Beisel was charged in January 2016.

The case was set to return to court this month, with Crown and Heidinger set to debate whether the evidence would still be entered.

However, Crown says they will not be entering the blood evidence taken by officers following the collision.

Instead, separate blood evidence taken at hospital and covered under a warrant will be entered in the court.

The trial will resume January 25 at Medicine Hat provincial court, where a blood expert will take the stand.