Trial underway to determine who was behind the wheel in serious crash

Here’s an update on two cases currently on trial at Windsor’s Superior Court.

The trial for a Cottam man accused of dangerous driving continued in Superior Court Tuesday.

Cameron Drouillard, 22, is charged with failing to provide necessities of life, operation causing bodily harm, impaired causing bodily harm, and impaired operation following a single vehicle crash on Oct. 16, 2022.

He was 18 years old at the time of the crash.

A former Lakeshore OPP Constable was the first witness to take the stand Monday.

Carissa Chapman testified she was the first police officer to arrive on Finn Lane in Lakeshore at 2:05 a.m.

She witnessed paramedics helping a woman, Maya Prentice, who was laying on the ground with injuries described as serious but non-life-threatening.

Const. Chapman said the other man at the crash scene, Drouillard, was already outside of the vehicle.

Chapman said a second officer on scene told her Prentice was driving the vehicle, not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle.

Drouillard’s uncle, Chad Ferris, was the second witness to take the stand.

Ferris told the court Drouillard called him after the crash and told him to call 911.

In that same phone call, Drouillard said he “moved her from under the truck.”

Ferris detailed to the court what he witnessed on scene, including conversations he had with Drouillard.

“You have to own it. Whatever your role is,” he said to Drouillard.

Drouillard’s friend, Logan Peltier, also took the stand Tuesday.

He confirmed he was with Drouillard and Prentice an hour before the crash at a house party in Kingsville and that Drouillard was in the driver’s seat when they left the party.

Peltier said the truck stopped at the end of the long driveway for a couple minutes before leaving the property, but he could not confirm what was happening inside the truck while it was in park.

Drouillard also asked Peltier to attend the scene, court heard.

Prentice’s mother, Kathleen Prentice, was next to take the stand.

She recalled arriving at the scene after she was contacted by Drouillard.

“Mama, I thought I was going to die,” she recalled hearing from Maya as she received medical help from paramedics.

Kathleen told the court that an officer told her Maya was behind the wheel.

“Were you driving?” Kathleen reportedly asked her daughter.

“No, mama,” was Maya’s response.

Kathleen is expected to continue her testimony Wednesday.

Crown and defence lawyers are arguing over who was behind the wheel at the time of the crash.