Woman on trial in Montreal says she was going to take ducks to her place

MONTREAL – A young Quebec driver on trial in the deaths of two motorcyclists says she stopped her car on a highway to pick up several ducklings she intended to bring home.

Emma Czornobaj is delivering her version of events at her jury trial in Montreal.

Czornobaj is charged with two counts each of criminal negligence causing death and dangerous driving causing the deaths of Andre Roy, 50, and his 16-year-old daughter, Jessie.

The court heard she was returning from housesitting for a boss south of Montreal in June 2010 when she happened on several ducklings on the side of a highway.

She says she pulled over as far as she could in the left lane, putting on her hazard lights and emergency brake.

Czornobaj testified that the highway wasn’t busy and that she checked before stopping.

She said she was intending to pick up the ducklings and bring them home, but they moved away as she quickly tried to approach them.

As she returned toward her car, she watched a motorcycle slam into the back of her Honda Civic.

She cried as she recounted watching Jessie Roy fly through the air.

The entire scene unfolded in about 20 seconds, Czornobaj said.

“I just wanted to pick all these ducklings up and put them in my car,” Czornobaj testified. “I know it was a mistake.”

A Crown witness testified that Andre Roy was likely going about 115 km/h at the moment he applied his brakes and managed to slow down to 105 km/h at the time of impact.

The speed limit on that stretch of highway is 90 km/h.