MAYVILLE – Friday had two people take the stand in the court case regarding the accident that took the life of 7 year old Emmaline Wilcox.

One testimony lasted for about five hours and the second one was less than 45 minutes. But it was the second testimony that had everyone in the courthouse in tears.

Roger Bedard was driving a tractor trailer half filled with energy drink bottles around 4 p.m. on Route 60 on Feb. 24, 2020, in the town of Pomfret. As he was headed south, he saw three vehicles in the left hand lane. Suddenly the red car, which was in the front, made a turn in front of him, causing his vehicle to strike it.

“I couldn’t figure out why this red car turned,” he said Friday afternoon from the witness stand. He did notice a vehicle that had a buckled hood, but the rest of the details were sketchy. When asked by attorneys how far apart the three vehicles were, Bedard guessed that they were evenly spaced, but he wasn’t sure.

After the crash, Bedard grabbed his cell phone and called 911. He said it was busy and he tried again, getting through the second time.

After hanging up his phone, Bedard exited his vehicle. He could see a woman was holding her little girl.

“I didn’t want to go back there,” he said, as tears welled in his eyes. “I have kids. I have grandkids that age.”

Bedard reached for tissues. “All you could hear was the mother,” he said, as his voice shook.

About a half a dozen family members of Shanna Wilcox were in the courtroom. Everyone was struggling. Shanna’s mother began to weep, followed by other family members.

Nicholas Mineweaser, 26, of Lakewood, is accused of rear ending Wilcox’s vehicle while under the influence of marijuana, forcing it to go into oncoming traffic. When Bedard’s voice began to crack, Mineweaser stared at the floor, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the courtroom. Mineweaser’s mother was also in the courtroom. She, too, had tears in her eyes as Bedard spoke.

Before Bedard took the stand, Elizabeth Spratt, a forensic toxicology consultant from Westchester County, addressed the court.

Her expertise is extensive. She shared about places she’s worked, her education, papers she’s written and research she’s been involved in. Spratt noted that she has testified in court more than 500 times, anywhere between 10 and 40 times a year.

Spratt went over in detail about the effects of marijuana on the body. She noted that marijuana today is much more potent than it was during the 1960s and ’70s.

Spratt discussed the difference marijuana can have on a person who is an occasional user verses someone who is a chronic user. She noted how the chronic user always has THC in the body.

During the trial, it was disclosed that Mineweaser’s blood was drawn six and a half hours after the crash. Even so, he had elevated levels of THC.

“It’s very rare, but it does happen,” she said, adding that this suggests the marijuana that Mineweaser is accused of using must have been very potent.

During Thursday’s testimony, Mineweaser’s ex-girlfriend testified that the two of them smoked marijuana the morning of Feb. 24, 2020. on Friday, Spratt was asked if marijuana was smoked that morning, could it still be in his system late that evening, which she said not without either smoking or ingesting more of it later in the day.

During cross examination by Mineweaser’s attorney, Michael Dwan, he cited a 2017 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The report, which was given to Congress, stated that some people under the influence of marijuana react differently while driving, compared to those who drive under the influence of alcohol.

Dwan said that according to the study, some people who use marijuana drive slower and take fewer risks, while those who use alcohol are more likely to speed and take more risks.

Spratt responded, saying the report came from a controlled study in which people tend to drive safer, compared to a random user who operates a motor vehicle under the influence. She also said there are a number of factors that the study may not have measured, including how many puffs were inhaled per minute, how long the puffs were held in the person’s lungs, how strong the marijuana is and how much the user weighed.

She added that she has read studies that have contradicted the NHTSA study; however, when asked for a specific citation, she was unable to immediately provide one.

Spratt insisted that although its effects are different than alcohol, marijuana is just as dangerous to use while operating a motor vehicle, especially during the first 30 minutes. “The sooner you get in your car after you smoke, the more likely you will get into an accident,” she said.

Dwan openly disagreed with Spratt’s assertions about the danger of everyone using marijuana while operating a motor vehicle.

He also asked Spratt what she was being paid, which she replied was $300 an hour. Dwan asked that if his client was paying her $300, would her testimony be different and she replied that it would absolutely not.

Going back to Bedard, after he testified for the day, he asked both attorneys and the judge what exactly happened that caused this crash. One of the attorneys replied saying that’s what they are trying to figure out.

He stepped down and exited the courtroom. After the emotional exchange, the attorneys agreed to end for the day and resume trial on Monday.