No way to say when damage to truck occurred, reconstructionist tells hit-and-run trial

A collision reconstructionist testified under cross-examination Friday that he has no doubt Brady Francis was struck by a vehicle because of the debris found at the fatal scene.

And RCMP Cpl. Michel Lanteignereiterated for the Moncton courtroom that the damage to the front of Maurice Johnson's pickup truck was consistent with a pedestrian being struck.

But Lanteigneacknowledged he could not say whether the damage to the accused's truck occurred on Feb. 24, 2018, the night Francis was killed.

The body of the 22-year-old from Elsipogtog First Nation was found onSaint-Charles South Road in Saint-Charles, about 100 kilometres north of Moncton.

Johnson, 57, of Saint-Charles, has pleaded not guilty to failing to stop at the scene of an accident that caused a person's death.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Monday morning.

Defence lawyer Gilles Lemieux was set to begin his cross-examination of Lanteigne on Thursday afternoon, but requested an adjournment after learning a new witness hadcome forward in the nearly two-year-old case.

The unnamed personcontacted theRCMP, theMonctonCourt of Queen's Bench heard. No other details were released at the time and the matter was not discussed in court on Friday.

Lanteignetold the courthis examination of Johnson's truck determinedaperson hit the hood, based onthe damage.

Lemieux asked if the damagecould be consistent with an animal being struck. Lanteigne replied animalsoften go under a vehicle andno evidence was found underneath Johnson's truck.

OnThursday, Lanteignealso told the court he found nohair from an animal on the vehicle.

Earlier Friday, the court heard fromLea Ighedosa, the former owner and operator of the Saint-Charles gas bar and store the night Francis was killed.

She testified she met with RCMP Const. Ricky LeBlond the afternoon after Francis was killed to review the footage from the store's security camera.

A segment of the video, which was played in court, shows Francis walking eastbound on the road in front of the gas station at around 9:30 p.m. likely the last images of him alive.

Shortly after, a vehicle,possibly a pickup truck,drivesby,heading in the same direction.

Security video from Jose Poirier was also submitted into evidence Friday. She and her fiancare good friends with Francis'family, she told the court.

When she heard about the accident, she visited her mother and stepfather, who live on Saint-Charles South Road,to review their security camera footage.

Poiriercopiedabout threehours of video between9 p.m. andmidnight and gave it to police. She did not watch all of the video and she did not edit or change it in any way, she said.

The trial began, which began on Monday, has heard from 24witnesses so far.

It is scheduled to continue until Jan. 31.

Justice Denise LeBlanc is presiding.