Lakefield stories

The OPP forensics mechanic who inspected the pickup truck involved in the crash that killed Abigail MacNaughton nearly five years ago grudgingly agreed he should have checked the power steering of the 1995 Dodge Ram 2500 as his testimony continued Wednesday.

OPP Highway Safety Division Const. Brian McLaughlin, an expert Crown witness who inspected the four-by-four 15 days after the fatal crash, spent the day being crossexamined in the trial of Joseph Ramono, 52, in Peterborough Superior Court of Justice.

The Stouffville auto mechanic has pleaded not guilty to criminal negligence causing death and uttering a forged document. Prosecutors allege he sold the safety certificate for the truck without ever seeing or inspecting the vehicle.

Citing Highway Traffic Act regulations governing the work of automotive mechanics, defence lawyer Glen Orr suggested it would have been equally important for the officer to know if the power steering was working properly in the truck before the Aug. 3, 2012 crash.

“I wasn’t doing a safety inspection,” the veteran of more than 650 vehicle inspections and nearly 1,000 crash reconstructions replied.

McLaughlin agreed he didn’t believe it to be important at the time of the more than five-hour inspection he performed on Aug. 17, 2012 in a secure storage bay at Fitzsimmons Towing and Repair on Ashburnham Dr., but now believes otherwise.

Asked why, he responded “Because you are asking me questions,” before pointing out that even if the power steering was disconnected, the driver would still have had manual steering, because power steering is a failsafe feature.

The eastbound two-tonne pickup driven by William “Billy” Towns collided with a westbound Honda car driven by MacNaughton, 27, on County Rd. 4 between the Third and Fourth Lines of Douro at about 4:45 p.m. on Aug. 3, 2012.

Further related to the power steering, Orr suggested that McLaughlin should have checked the power steering pump – something the officer said he has never done in any of his inspections – among other steps related diagnosing the operation of the system.

McLaughlin said he did not have the gauge to do so, but conceded he could have ordered one or checked area dealerships to see if he could borrow one.

One of the steps in the diagnosis, however, is warming up the engine – something McLaughlin said he could not do, because the Dodge motor was inoperable.

The officer, who agreed he doesn’t know if the power steering was working at the time of the crash, was pressured why he didn’t borrow a gauge from Chrysler.

“You can’t pressure test a system where one of the steps is to turn on the engine and warm up the system,” he said.

McLaughlin pointed out that while power steering assists while one is driving, it does even more so when one is turning the wheel while a vehicle is parked or moving slowly.

The officer also agreed that air in the power steering system, which uses hydraulic fluid, could cause excessive play in the steering. He did not check for it for the same reason as earlier. “Because the system wasn’t operating to check for air in it.”

McLaughlin, who began his apprenticeship as an auto mechanic in 1976 before becoming fully licensed in 1979 and joined the OPP in 1990, also did not inspect the steering column or steering box, court heard.

Orr made several suggestions that McLaughlin agreed with Wednesday.

For example, that a driver would have to be extra careful when driving a vehicle like the Dodge at higher speeds because a lift kit and oversized tires increase the vehicle’s centre of mass, or gravity, making it more prone to instability during turning.

Altered angles of steering components would also be a contributing factor, he said. “There is going to be a difference in their handling characteristics.”

The truck was driven 1,957 kilometres between the time a safety certificate was issued in July – when the odometer read 408,104 km – and the time of the crash, court heard.

McLaughlin agreed he could not determine if the truck was driven on rough terrain in the time and that any signs that was the case could have disappeared quickly.

Driving the truck off-road could damage its steering components, he concurred. The truck did not have skid plates, protective equipment installed on vehicles specifically manufactured for driving offroad, such as a Jeep Wrangler.

Orr spent considerable time questioning McLaughlin about the effects of tire inflation and their impact on vehicle handling and weight distribution.

The officer agreed that a vehicle with a low tire, like on the Dodge, could “shimmy” – that is, move from side to side, causing vibration in the vehicle. The movement is the result of a loss of traction, because the tire isn’t uniformly contacting the road.

Driving a vehicle at a high rate of speed with a tire with less than half it its maximum pressure could create potential for instability and loss of control, McLaughlin agreed. He also concurred that under the right conditions, shimmying could lead to fishtailing.

An OPP collision reconstructionist testified earlier in the trial that he did not see evidence of the Dodge fishtailing, as a crash witnesses testified before that.

Court also heard Wednesday that another officer who also works for the OPP Highway Safety Division, but out of Aurora, also inspected the Dodge, in 2015, before preparing a report.

Towns was scheduled to stand trial along with Ramono, but pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and uttering a forged document shortly after proceedings got underway with jury selection on June 5.

He will be sentenced June 30 and is expected to testify.

The trial, which is scheduled for four weeks, resumes at 10 a.m. Thursday. LAKEFIELD -- Local author Ed Arnold and illustrator Drew Ridpath will discuss the stories behind their new book, Lakefield: Sketches to Remember at Christ Church Lakefield on June 21 at 7 p.m. Arnold’s 18th book was produced in collaboration with Ridpath, an industrial designer with experience in interior and architectural design. He created black-and-white drawings of important buildings in the village, and Arnold went looking for the stories behind them, turning up emotional, powerful tales of Lakefield’s history and people. The book has 40 stories and sketches, and should be available by Canada Day. Details of the book’s formal launch will be shared at next week’s event. Admission is $10 at the door, with limited seating. Proceeds go to Christ Church Lakefield.