Nanaimo's Christanne Marie Boufford said she will not testify in her own defence while leaving her trial on Thursday, July 31. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

high-profile trial

Driver sped up after hitting Nanaimo area construction workers: police expert

Aug 1, 2025 | 5:55 AM

NANAIMO — An expert’s report of a fatal highway crash south of Nanaimo has been revealed, representing a key plank in Crown counsel’s case during an ongoing trial.

Findings from the suspect vehicle’s data recorder, as well as physical on-scene evidence, were outlined on Thursday, July 31 by an RCMP collision reconstructionist during the BC Supreme Court trial of Christanne Marie Boufford.

She’s charged with dangerous driving causing death, and dangerous driving causing bodily harm, in connection to a late-night September 2021 crash in which 69-year-old paver Raymond Ferguson was killed, and a flagger injured in a marked construction zone.

RCMP Cpl. John Burns told the trial the 2015 Honda Fit provided five seconds of data during the incident, involving metrics every half second of the car’s speed and whether the gas pedal or brakes were engaged.

Cpl. Burns told the trial the southbound car was travelling at 79 kilometres an hour, then slowed to 63 when the two workers were hit.

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The construction zone speed limit was 60 kilometres per hour.

Ferguson was propelled off the vehicle’s windshield and thrown about 30 meters before landing on the roadway.

He was pronounced dead on scene.

Following the initial impact, the vehicle slowed to below 40 kilometres per hour, according to Cpl. Burns.

He said the vehicle continued south down the highway and hit the right rear bumper of another motorist, belonging to eyewitness Dwayne Carson, who testified on Monday.

According to the recording data, the suspect vehicle then slightly increased in speed.

It wasn’t until just before the Honda Fit veered to the slow lane and rammed into a dump truck that the motorist applied the brakes.

“At point five seconds before the [dump truck was hit] we’re still seeing 40 kilometers an hour and now the gas pedal comes off and the brakes go on?” Crown Prosecutor Nick Barber asked.

“Correct,” Burns responded.

The veteran collision specialist, who has conducted nearly 160 police crash investigations, said the car was going 22 kilometres per hour when it hit the dump truck.

Cpl. Burns said the roadway was newly applied, dry asphalt and the stretch of highway is straight.

The divided highway was reduced to one lane for southbound travellers at the time.

Several on-scene photo exhibits taken by the officer and displayed on a courtroom television monitor.

Ferguson and flagger Katherine Toews were hit about 130 meters south of the Kipp Rd. intersection, according to Burns, who responded to the incident 40 minutes after it happened.

Cpl. Burns said ample warning signage of construction work was in place to advise southbound motorists.

Earlier on Thursday, licensed mechanic Roger Williams told the trial the accused’s vehicle was in suitable working condition, with no braking deficiencies or issues with the tires cited.

Williams stated in his opinion the crash was not mechanically related.

The only video evidence presented at trial was from a neighbouring business, depicting what’s alleged to be Boufford’s car travelling at what appeared to be a high rate of speed seconds before striking the pedestrians.

Defence attorney Jerry Steele is expected to cross-examine Cpl. Burns Friday morning, followed by closing arguments.

The defence is not expected to call any witnesses, while the trial is expected to wrap up on Friday.

Boufford, 53, told NanaimoNewsNOW she will not testify.

Prior impaired driving charges against Boufford no longer apply after justice Douglas Thompson ruled charter infringements were made by the first RCMP officer on scene.

Boufford’s trial was originally scheduled to start in early January, but was delayed after her lawyers challenged the officer’s conduct.

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