
Trial begins for Markham man accused of crash that killed off-duty officer
They were there for the opening day of the dangerous and impaired driving causing death trial for 26-year-old Haoju Zhou.
Crown attorney Sean Doyle told Superior Court Justice Mark Edwards that evidence will show that Zhou, who was a G2 driver at the time of the collision and was prohibited from having any alcohol in his blood while driving, is guilty of both offences.
Zhou has pleaded not guilty.
Timothy Dixon testified he was driving to work with three co-workers around 6 am om September 14, 2022 westbound along Major Mackenzie Drive west of Warden Avenue in Markham. Dixon said he saw headlights and thought an oncoming car was coming right towards him.
Story continues below advertisement
'I said 'holy sh-t. I cranked the vehicle from the left-lane to the right-hand lane. It hit the car behind me instantaneously. I was slowing down and craning behind me. I could see a car up in the air spinning in circles,' said Dixon referring to the car behind him.
That car, a white Honda Accord, was being driven by Travis Gillespie, an off-duty police constable who was on his way to York Regional Police's #2 District in Richmond Hill.
Court heard Gillespie was in the westbound passing lane and behind him, in the curb lane was a dump truck operated by Dhaneshwar Hardial. Hardial testified as he was driving up a hill, he heard a loud noise and later realized a white car had struck his truck.
Hardial testified he called 911 but didn't speak to any of the drivers involved. Dixon who told court the road way dry said he spoke to Zhou, after realizing he was the driver of the black Porsche SUV that had collided with Gillespie's Honda.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
'The driver of the vehicle was walking down towards me and he was asking 'is he okay? is he okay?' said Dixon. He said the driver was very emotional and crying and said he wanted to use the phone.
'He said 'I'm so tired, I fell asleep. I'm so tired. He was so emotional,' said Dixon adding Zhou wanted to hug him. 'He gave me one. He wanted to hug me again. I said 'once is enough''.
Story continues below advertisement
Dixon said he detected an odour of a really bad air freshener. 'Whatever the odour was, I could taste it, like a pine tree. He borrowed the tow truck driver's phone and phoned home. By this time, police had taken him from me,' Dixon added.
Doyle told court that Gillespie died at the scene. 'The cause of death was multiple trauma,' said Doyle.
During cross-examination, defence counsel Paul Aubin asked Dixon if he smelled alcohol on Zhou. Dixon said no and agreed Zhou wasn't slurring his word. 'He asked me if a person died in the car,' said Dixon who remembered he was fidgeting and couldn't sit still.
One of the first officers on scene, Constable Sean Lee testified when he arrived, he saw the black Porsche Cayenne with severe front end damage. He said a white man pointed out an asian male that was the driver of the Porsche.
'I walked towards the asian male and prior to either of us saying anything, he stretched out his arms in an 'arrest me gesture,' said Lee. 'I was confused and I recall asking why are you doing that?' Lee said Zhou said in english, 'I will cooperate'.
'Immediately I formed suspicion in my mind that this may be a criminal investigation for impaired operation,' said Lee who recalled that Zhou was swaying side to side as he was speaking to him. 'I did observe his eyes were glossy, one of the indicia of impairment by alcohol,' he added.
Story continues below advertisement
The other officer who arrived on scene at the same time as Lee, Const. Ryan Krkachovski said he arrested Zhou for impaired after Lee instructed him to do so. He said after Zhou was in custody , he escorted him from one ambulance to another and thought he was stumbling and his gait was off. 'He was not walking in a straight line,' Kr\kachovski told court.
He said later after accompanying Zhou to Markham-Stouffville Hospital and arresting him for impaired driving causing death, Zhou suddenly said to him 'the curb was too tight'. Krkachovski said he told him to stop talking since he hadn't spoken to a lawyer. Krkachovski said he noticed a 'sweet odour about him' but during cross-examination, couldn't say he made any observations of impairment.
Doyle told court that the posted speed limit for traffic on Major Mackenzie Drive in the area of the collision is 70 km/hr. He said on impact, the Porsche SUV was travelling between 69-76 km/hour but no data is available in relation to braking or steering control. 'The Honda Accord was travelling at 84 km/hour. The brakes were not applied at any time and the steering input was minimal,' said Doyle.
Doyle said two blood samples were drawn from Zhou at Markham Stouffville hospital at 8:11 am and again at 9:13 am and were sent for analysis at the Centre for Forensic Sciences.
The crown said an expert in the field of forensic toxicology is expected to testify that blood drawn at 8:11 am contained 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood. 'That result would equate to a blood alcohol concentration of between 82 and 130 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood around the time of the collision.
Story continues below advertisement
The blood drawn at 9:13 a.m. contained 58 mg of alcohol, said Doyle, equated to a BAC of between 70-128 mg/100 ml of blood around the time of the collision.
Doyle said the forensic toxicologist will testify the hospital's own analysis of the blood drawn at 8:11 am converted to 92 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood at the time of the collision.
Doyle said the crown must prove that Zhou's ability to operate the motor vehicle was impaired to any degree by alcohol or that his blood-alcohol concentration within two hours of ceasing to operate the motor vehicle was equal of greater to 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood.
'The crown will lead evidence to prove both,' said Doyle. He added that the crown asserts that Zhou operated his motor vehicle in a manner, that having regard to all the circumstances, is dangerous to the public and was not a momentary lapse in judgement.
The trial continues.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Global News
42 minutes ago
- Global News
Law experts, observers raise questions as Ontario adds virtual courtroom restrictions
Ontario's lower courts are introducing restrictions on who can attend proceedings virtually after what they describe as an escalation of interruptions, a move that law experts and observers say raises questions about transparency. The Ontario Court of Justice released a new policy last week that would stop observers from accessing court proceedings online unless they receive authorization from the judge or justice of peace overseeing the case. Those interested in attending court cases are encouraged to show up in person, the policy says. It does not apply to proceedings at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The lower court attributes the move to a rise in deliberate disruptions of court proceedings referred to as 'Zoom bombings,' which is when participants disturb a virtual call with inappropriate content or messages. 'These disruptions are an impermissible attack on the integrity of the justice system and the administration of justice,' an interim policy notice said, adding that they often cause delays and can have negative effects for participants, court staff and jurists. Story continues below advertisement Boris Bytensky, president of the Criminal Lawyers' Association, says changes to the observer policy were needed because of the 'despicable acts of disruption' caused by certain attendees in virtual courts. 'This is the only way to ensure that proceedings that are conducted by Zoom and bring the significant benefits to the system and to the parties that virtual proceedings offer are free from any unacceptable interference,' Bytensky said in an emailed statement. But some experts warn that the policy could be a step back when it comes to openness. Virtual court hearings on Zoom were first adopted in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic so court processes could continue amid government-mandated physical distancing rules. The continued use of videoconferencing technology in courtrooms since then has created a level of access people now expect, complicating the decision to change the policy, said Teresa Scassa, law professor at the University of Ottawa. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'At this point, the meaning of open courts or what is an open court has changed, and now you're taking away something that's there,' she said in an interview. While the new policy says physical attendance is still on the table, that is not an option for everyone, Scassa said. People with disabilities, those who don't drive and anyone who lives far away from courts do not always have the option to attend in person, she said. Story continues below advertisement 'I have some sympathy for the challenges the courts are dealing with. But I do have some questions about whether the route that they've chosen is really the route that best respects the open court principles,' said Scassa. A small number of court proceedings only take place virtually. To observe these cases, the court says people need to request permission by emailing the court's communications officer — the same contact that media use to request access to virtual proceedings. Scassa said she has questions about how judges will decide who should and shouldn't get access: 'Does everybody get permission? Who gets denied permission? Is there some hierarchy?' The Ontario Court of Justice did not respond to a request for more information about the authorization process before deadline. Avid court observer Jenny Pelland said the court's new policy isn't surprising, as they've witnessed Zoom bombings many times over the past few years, especially in high-profile cases. 'I've seen some where it's been very graphic,' Pelland said in an interview, adding that the disruptions often display violent or pornographic content. Since the observer policy was announced, Pelland said courts have already been applying the rules differently, with some posting notices in the Zoom waiting room that public access is banned and others allowing access but requiring attendees to provide their full legal name or have their camera turned off. Story continues below advertisement Such differences are not novel, with Pelland saying they've noticed limitations on access even in cases when they reached out to a judge or court clerk for permission in advance. 'For some courts in Ottawa, it's been almost impossible to log in for the past few months,' Pelland said. 'Some judges don't allow observers at all and it's not something new.' Alyssa King, associate professor of law at Queen's University, said understaffing is already a concern in Ontario courts, and adding more administrative burden for judges will cause inconsistencies in the way policies are applied across the province. 'It's not because anybody is acting in bad faith or trying to prevent the public from accessing the court,' she said. 'But they are people with a big workload and sometimes very high stress decisions that they need to make quickly … so any time you add to what they have to do administratively, that's tough.' A different process is still followed to allow access to virtual courts for victims and complainants. The court says they should get in touch with their local Crown attorney's office or victim witness assistance program. Jasminder Sekhon, director of community engagement, EDI and policy at Victim Services Toronto, said the court should consider updating its policies on that process to make sure it is more accessible and survivor-informed. Story continues below advertisement 'Not just the victims should be able to apply, but also people should be able to apply on their behalf,' Sekhon said, adding that people who support survivors should also be considered to receive virtual access. For Linda McCurdy, a criminal defence lawyer based in Windsor, Ont., adding an extra step to prevent disruptions is a good way to preserve the integrity of the courts. 'I barely notice people in the court, but you really notice people on Zoom when they're doing stuff,' said McCurdy, adding that people tend to forget about formalities when calling in from their own homes. 'If you want to come and watch the proceedings, come to the court, come sit in the court. That's the way it's always been.'


Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
Sentencing hearing begins for Halifax teen who pleaded guilty in stabbing death
A sentencing hearing is underway for a 16-year-old boy who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old Halifax high school student. The offender, whose identity is protected from publication, was one of four teens charged in the death of Ahmad Maher Al Marrach on April 22, 2024, at a Halifax mall parking garage. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy At the request of the defence, Judge Bronwyn Duffy has imposed a publication ban on details of the testimony of three witnesses in provincial youth court. The ban applies to details on the teen's mental health, family history and on information he provided to the witnesses in a clinical setting. The witnesses are a psychologist who assessed the teenager; a psychologist who was consulted for the assessment; and a forensic social worker who authored the teen's rehabilitative treatment plan. Story continues below advertisement The sentencing hearing is scheduled to continue on Sept. 12 and is expected to conclude on Oct. 3. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2025.


Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
Murder case against father of nine-year-old Montreal girl moves to a grand jury
The case against the father of a nine-year-old Montreal girl found dead in Upstate New York will move directly to the grand jury stage. The court in Ticonderoga, N.Y., and the secretary for the district attorney both confirmed that the felony hearing scheduled to take place Friday for Luciano Frattolin has been cancelled. Instead the case will move to a grand jury, where its members will assess the prosecution's evidence to decide whether there is probable cause that Frattolin killed his daughter Melina and should stand trial. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The 45-year-old has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and the concealment of a human corpse after his daughter's body was found in a shallow pond in New York state last weekend. Police have said Frattolin originally reported his daughter missing and potentially abducted, but officers determined the story to be false. Story continues below advertisement Preliminary autopsy results released this week concluded the nine-year-old Canadian girl died from asphyxia due to drowning, and the death was ruled a homicide. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2025.