Boat had lights on when it was hit by vessel operated by Linda O'Leary, witness says
A boat carrying a group of stargazers on a central Ontario lake had its lights on when it was struck by another boat captained by Linda O'Leary nearly two years ago, court heard Tuesday from a witness who was also charged in the crash.
Richard Ruh told an Ontario court the boat he was aboard had its navigation lights -- a white overhead light and two green and red lights on the bow -- on at the time of the late-night crash that killed two people.
He said the boat's control panel, which also provides some light, was on as well.
Whether the boat, a 16-seat Nautique, had its lights on has been a point of contention in the case.
Court has viewed security footage of the lake that night, but when asked Tuesday if the clips showed the lights were on, Ruh pointed instead to his own recollection.
"I know that I was on the boat, and the lights were on on my boat," he said.
During cross-examination, however, a lawyer for the defence asked Ruh if he was aware that a police expert's report on the collision came to the conclusion that it occurred because the Nautique did not have the appropriate lights on. The doctor said he was not familiar with the report or its contents.
Linda O'Leary leaves a Parry Sound courthouse on Tues. June 15, 2021 (Mike Arsalides/CTV News)
Court has heard Ruh had taken over operating the boat that belonged to his friend Irv Edwards while they went out stargazing on Lake Joseph with a group on Aug. 24, 2019. The outing was meant to cap off a dinner party hosted by Edwards, court heard.
Ruh, a family doctor who lives in Buffalo, N.Y., but rents a cottage near the lake, said the craft had been still for some time and had its engine off when he saw lights from an oncoming boat.
"I can remember thinking to myself, 'it's coming,"' he testified, noting the other boat appeared to be moving fast.
Seconds later, he said, their boat was struck by another vessel -- a crash that caused the deaths of Gary Poltash, 64, from Florida, and Suzana Brito, 48, from Uxbridge, Ont. Three people were also injured.
O'Leary, who is the wife of celebrity businessman and politician Kevin O'Leary, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of careless operation of a vessel under the Canada Shipping Act.
An agreed statement of facts read in court Monday said she was at the helm when the collision took place. Her husband was also aboard.
The Public Prosecution Service of Canada initially said a conviction could involve a jail sentence and a maximum fine of a million dollars, but later said there was no jail time associated with the charge and the maximum fine is $10,000.
Ruh was also charged with one count of failing to exhibit a navigation light while underway.
He told the court Tuesday he was issued a ticket, which he said he contested for more than a year before paying the $125 fine and signing an attestation of "neither innocence nor guilt."
The doctor said he is also named as a defendant in six lawsuits related to the collision.
In his testimony Tuesday, he recalled scanning the boat to see if anyone was hurt in the aftermath of the crash.
Tearing up at moments, Ruh described seeing Poltash with a "deadly skull fracture" and Brito with blood on her lips. Both had been at the front of the boat, court has heard.
Linda O'Leary and Kevin O'Leary arrive at the American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Jordan Strauss/Invision)
The doctor said he administered mouth-to-mouth to Brito and continued to do so as the boat headed back towards the marina. There were a few moments where she managed to breathe on her own, but she quickly needed aid again, he said.
Poltash died when they arrived on shore, while Brito was taken to hospital by ambulance, he said. She died a few days later.
Kevin O'Leary, the former star of the popular CBC show "Dragons' Den," also stars in the ABC show "Shark Tank." He briefly sought the leadership of the federal Conservatives in 2017.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.