Accused testifies that he wasn’t the driver in crash that killed a London woman

Dangerous driving causing death trial for Bahaa Ali in fatal crash on Southdale Road continues. CTV London’s Nick Paparella reports.

Testifying in his own defence, Bahaa Ali, 31, of London told the court that he wasn’t behind the wheel of his modified black Mercedes Benz when it crashed with a Hyundai Sonata at Southdale Road and White Oak Road on November 3 of 2020.

The crash in south London would end up claiming the life of 68-year-old Joan Clubb who was a passenger in the beige Sonata.

Ali testified that after spending the night at his girlfriend’s house, he was headed for breakfast with a friend and his younger brother, Muhannad that morning.

As they waited for his brother outside the restaurant he said he received a startling call from Muhannad saying, “I got a phone call from my brother he said, ‘I crashed, I crashed.’”

Ali said that he raced to the scene and got there before police and emergency crews arrived saying, “I was shocked, I saw him (Muhannad) and he couldn’t even speak.”

Then after officers arrived to investigate, “I told police I was driving...it was a split second decision I wanted to help my brother, I’ve always taken care of him.”

Ali said his brother told him that the female driver of the Sonata cut in from of him and that he was not speeding at the time.

He told police, “I wanted to put the blame on her so I could get paid for the car.”

He said eventually he would receive about $43,000 from insurance.

However, during the trial which got underway on Monday, forensic video evidence from London Police would show that the black Benz may have been travelling at speeds of up to 129 kilometres an hour on a street that was marked as a sixty zone.

Ali said he thought the investigation was over with until he received a letter in the mail saying that he was charged with dangerous driving causing death. He quickly got a lawyer and at the beginning of the trial has plead not guilty.

Later during cross-examination from the Crown, the court heard that Ali had a criminal record which included assault causing bodily harm.

When the Crown suggested that he wasn’t being truthful about who was behind the wheel that November day, Ali responded, “No, I was not driving.”

His testimony resumes on Friday.