'I think I just saw a hit and run': Londoner testifies in Windsor courtroom during terrorism-motivated murder trial of Muslim family

WARNING: GRAPHIC

Four members of the Afzaal family died in June 2021 after they were struck by a pickup truck.

The jury has already heard evidence, in an agreed statement of facts, that the truck was driven by Nathaniel Veltman. 

Lindsay Marshall testified Wednesday that she “heard an engine rev [accelerate]” while she was sitting on the balcony of her apartment, near the intersection of Hyde Park Road and South Carriage Road in London, Ont. 

She said she saw the pickup truck go through the intersection and drive up onto the sidewalk. Marshall thought the truck hit a mailbox or a sign.

“I saw something fly thirty to forty feet in the air,” Marshall testified. “I didn’t really know what I just saw.”

It wasn’t until a London Police Services (LPS) officer arrived on scene, ran over to the area, and knelt down to perform CPR, that Marshall realized it was a person she saw thrown in the air.

Marshall admitted to the jury it was a “shock” and she immediately texted her family, “I think I just saw a hit and run.”

She told the jury the truck continued driving on the sidewalk before returning to the street and leaving the area. 

Approximately an hour afterwards, Marshall went down to the police officers and gave them a statement. 

Defence lawyer Christopher Hicks asked Marshall to clarify how far away she was from the collision. She previously testified it was about one-and-a-half football field lengths away.

Marshall said she couldn’t think of a better way to explain the distance from her apartment to the intersection where the collision happened. 

LONDON POLICE SERVICE HEADQUARTERS VIDEOS

Late in the day, the court called Viktor Poc back to the witness stand for cross-examination by the defence.

Poc is a video analyst who works for the LPS. He seized and reviewed surveillance videos of the scene of the collision, the parking lot where Veltman was arrested, and surveillance from inside police headquarters where the accused was processed after his arrest and held pending a bail hearing.  

Hicks told the jury they will be shown four hours of video to track Veltmans’ “Progress through the London Police Service” in the initial hours after arrest. 

Hicks started with video showing the cruiser Veltman was in arrive in an underground parking lot where the cells are located.

After approximately 20 minutes, Veltman was removed from the cruiser, frisked by officers and questioned for booking.

In the video, Veltman was wearing a white t-shirt with a black cross on it, pants with the pockets emptied out, and no shoes. 

In the start of his booking, Veltman appeared to be breathing heavily while answering questions of the officers.

Here’s what police learned about Veltman during the booking process:

• He considered suicide two months before the collision but was no longer having suicidal thoughts
• He had two previous charges for public intoxication
• He believes he’s allergic to peanuts
• He had not consumed any illegal drugs or alcohol that day (the last thing he consumed was around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, June 5)

The booking officer asked Veltman if he wished to speak with a lawyer to which the accused responded, “If you have some[one] available, sure.” 

It was this point Justice Renee Pomerance asked the jury to leave the courtroom with no reason provided to them.

When they returned the judge reminded them previous offences had no bearing on the case before them and that public intoxication is not a criminal offence.

The jury was then excused by the judge until Thursday at 11 a.m. so she could discuss some legal matters with the crown and defence. 

CTV Windsor’s Michelle Maluske is live from the courtroom on day five: