Witnesses at N.W.T. trial describe confrontation involving woman accused of dangerous driving causing death
CBC
The trial for a woman accused of dangerous driving causing death continued in N.W.T. Supreme Court on Wednesday, with two witnesses describing a confrontation that began before the fatal incident three years ago.
Hannah Lafferty was charged with a single count of dangerous driving causing death after Germaine Mantla, 30, was struck by a vehicle in April 2022 near Bison Hill Apartments in Yellowknife.
Austin Moore and Ikeda Lafferty, who were arrested for failing to appear in court earlier this week as witnesses, testified on Wednesday about what they saw nearly three years ago.
Ikeda testified by video that she lived at the apartment building and that Moore, her former partner and the father of her two children, had come to visit that night.
Moore testified that he and Hannah were dating at the time. Ikeda said she knew Hannah, as both were from the same community of Behchokǫ̀, N.W.T. Ikeda said she was angry when she learned Hannah was outside.
Ikeda said she approached and opened Hannah's vehicle door but said Hannah started driving, forcing her to hold onto the handle.
The court also heard a recording of the call Hannah made to 911 that night.
Hannah told police that Ikeda approached her vehicle, opened the door, and started assaulting her. Hannah said she sped off while Ikeda held on. The door was open, and someone was knocked down.
"This poor guy. That was so unexpected. I couldn't control it … I didn't see him," Hannah told police.
Ikeda denied that she assaulted Hannah but said she was "possibly" angry at her. She said that she panicked and initially thought Hannah had hit a walkway, and didn't realize it was a person.
"My head was slammed in the door," Ikeda told the court.
Ikeda said that after the vehicle stopped, she was scared and walked away.
Moore, meanwhile, told the court that all he remembered was seeing Mantla on the ground after the incident. He said he knew him personally.
Mantla later died from his injuries.
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