Evidence has concluded in the trial of a B.C. man involved in a 2021 Vancouver crash that left a 23-month-old girl dead and her father severely injured.
Seyed Ramin Moshfeghi Zadeh’s trial before Vancouver Provincial Court Judge Katherine Denhoff began April 2. Moshfeghi Zadeh is charged with dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
Crown prosecutor Brent Anderson concluded his case April 3 leaving defence lawyer Robert Dick to consult with his client overnight to see if they would be calling any evidence.
Ultimately, Dick told Denhoff April 4 that he would not be calling evidence. Defence and Crown will now prepare their arguments, which the judge is scheduled to hear on April 9.
In a joint Crown and defence admissions of fact, Moshfeghi Zadeh admitted he was driving a black Ford Escape that entered the downtown Vancouver intersection of Hornby and Smithe streets against a red light on July 6, 2021. It was further admitted that the Ford hit a McLaren sports car and rolled over while a man was on one corner holding his daughter.
“The Ford Escape struck the baby,” Anderson said in the admissions. “Her death was caused by the impact.”
He noted Moshfeghi Zadeh was a novice driver.
On April 3, Kei Hensler told the court he was driving about 50 km/h in his McLaren north on Hornby Street when he was hit at the intersection.
“I saw a black car coming from the right,” he said under questioning from Anderson. “I had no chance to stop. I spun a couple of times.”
“I heard some screaming,” Hensler said, adding an officer told him to stay in his car until medical help arrived.
Anderson earlier told the court a baby was “killed almost instantly,” while her father “received significant harm.”
The court heard the light had been red for more than 20 seconds before the collision.
Hensler said several people approached his McLaren to help him. One of them was now-retired Crown prosecutor Peter Favell.
He testified he had just crossed Smithe Street and was walking west toward Burrard Street when he heard a loud noise “which I knew was a collision.”
While he said he did not witness the collision itself, he said he turned and saw an SUV “rolling over and crashing onto the sidewalk where I had just been standing.”
On April 2, Anderson went through several videos from the area surrounding the intersection with a police officer. They showed the Ford increasing speed and entering the intersection. The impact itself was not seen but the Ford was seen bouncing to its final resting spot.
Another police officer spoke with Moshfeghi Zadeh at the scene. He told Denhoff he recognized the man, having had dealings with him twice before.
Denhoff said she would be reserving her decision.
