The trial of a man charged with assault causing bodily harm began Monday at the Valleyfield courthouse. The incident happened two years ago on the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge. Stephanie Ross was in court to face her alleged attacker, truck driver John Kerwin Labissiere. Ross was allegedly knocked unconscious by Labissiere following a fender-bender on the bridge. Labissiere is facing one count of assault causing bodily harm. He and his lawyer refused to comment. Ross noted that she has been dealing with memory loss. “I remember being there, I remember getting onto the bridge. And then there are parts that are not there,” she said. At the time, construction workers on the bridge told CTV News they had to intervene to stop further violence. A witness to the altercation testified before the judge Monday. For Ross, it has been a long road to recovery. “There are flashes. There are days that are fine. I could be doing fine and there’s a trigger, which I don’t know what it is, everything just crumbles all over again,” Ross testified. Ross says she’s anxious to see the case come to an end. Her message to the public is that it’s never OK to hit someone and to remain calm when you’re on the road. “It was something that was benign. Nothing important that happened and it wasn’t worth it.” Several witnesses testified Monday, and it remains to be seen how long the trial will last.
