An RCMP officer driving an SUV collided with a median, lost a wheel and wound up wedged in a ditch - later attempting to flee the scene, according to a witness who testified Monday.
Sgt. Victor Cunha is facing charges of impaired driving and dangerous driving in connection with the Nov. 30, 2012 incident.
Cunha was "all over the road" when he passed two cars heading east on the highway, according to witness Brendan Grills, who was testifying in provincial court in North Vancouver.
Grills, 21, said Cunha swerved past him at speeds ranging from 100 to 110 km/h and neglected to use his turn signals.
"He passed in a rather aggressive fashion," Grills said. "I gave him space."
Grills said he next caught sight of the vehicle about 10 minutes later, near the Caulfeild exit, just moments before the collision.
The grey SUV was doing about 90 km/h when it drifted into a neighbouring lane while rounding a bend, Grills said in court. The car turned toward the median with enough force to hop on the barrier before losing a wheel and winding up in a ditch, according to Grills.
Grills said he knocked on the driver's side window and yelled. Cunha, who was off-duty at the time of the accident, appeared unconscious and slumped over the centre console. The vehicle was running and the music was on, according to Grills.
Grills called 9-1-1. Grills testified that after about three minutes, Cunha responded and said he was fine.
Cunha was "dead set" on driving according to Grills, who recalled the engine revving and the SUV's wheels spinning in the ditch.
Cunha reacted strongly when he overheard Grills tell the 9-1-1 operator he was drunk. "He immediately said, 'I'm not drunk; my wife just left me,'" Grills recalled.
Cunha got out of the car and while he didn't stagger, he walked toward Grills, according to the witness. Grills returned to his car at that point.
In testimony Tuesday, the aprehending officer, Const. Arman Sardari of the West Vancouver Police Department, described Cunha as emotionally distraught.
Upon arriving at the scene, a fellow officer informed Sardari that Cunha had said he was trying to kill himself because his wife had left him.
The court heard arguments about whether alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.
Grills said he assumed Cunha was drunk because of his irrational reaction to the collision. Rather than being calm and stationary, he said Cunha was fairly loud. However, he testified he did not smell alcohol at the scene.
Defence attorney Michael Klein asked if Cunha's behaviour could be explained by the fact he'd just suffered a concussion.
Based on seeing friends and athletes suffer concussions while playing sports, Grills said that was unlikely.
Grills identified Cunha as the driver of the vehicle in court. However, there was some debate about whether the SUV that passed Grills was the same one that clipped the median.
"It was identical to the vehicle I had seen earlier," Grills said, partially basing his statement on the low volume of traffic on the road.
Under crossexamination from Klein, Grills acknowledged the possibility of a second SUV. "It is possible it was another vehicle," he said.
Given the speed of the SUV that overtook Grills, it would have had to slow considerably for Grills to catch up, Klein pointed out.
Klein indicated he may argue against the admissibility of forensic samples relating to the case.
Cunha is the head of the RCMP's Lower Mainland explosives disposal unit. He is currently on administrative leave.
The trial resumes March 27.
