'I was pressing on the brake': Elderly woman maintains story in deadly crash that killed 8-year-old Girl Guide
CTV
Petronella McNorgan called it 'sheer panic' as she recalled the fatal crash that killed a young girl on Nov. 30, 2021.
Petronella McNorgan called it “sheer panic” as she recalled the fatal crash that killed a young girl on Nov. 30, 2021.
Testifying in her own defence Thursday, the 78-year-old retired teacher told the jury that after getting her Honda CRV serviced earlier that day, it was operating normally as she drove around the city.
However, later that night as she headed home to west London after dropping off her grandson, it all changed at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Wonderland Road.
”I noticed the lights were red, I started to hit the brakes but the car didn’t slow down…it made a noise, started to rev up, it began to speed, I kept pressing harder on the brake and it wouldn’t stop,” McNorgan recalled.
She continued, “I had trouble controlling the steering, it felt like it was steering itself, it was accelerating and the brakes weren’t working. I was petrified.”
While on the stand, McNorgan fought back tears and testified, “It took me a few minutes to realize I was in a horrible situation…I saw all those ambulances and I don’t remember anything, it wasn’t registering…I think I may have blacked out.”
Later that night, she spoke with police and family members about what had happened and seemed lost.
