Two women struck by a U-Haul truck in downtown Edmonton more than two years ago are still dealing with the physical and psychological impacts.
"It took me a long time to ask for help when I became suicidal," testified Kimberley O’Hara, one of four pedestrians ran over by the large moving truck on Sept. 30, 2017.
O’Hara was the second of three Crown witnesses to take the stand on Day 8 of the trial for Abdulahi Hasan Sharif.
It’s alleged Sharif intended to kill people when he drove the rented U-Haul through downtown. He’s also accused of hitting Edmonton police Const. Mike Chernyk with a car and stabbing him multiple times.
O’Hara and her friends, Jordan Stewardson and Levi Wagner, were all visiting from Fort McMurray and were unaware of the events that had happened just a few blocks away, when they were standing at the northwest corner of Jasper Avenue and 107 Street.
"I remember the right headlight coming at me and then I remember lying on the ground," testified Stewardson, who required three stitches on the chin afterward, but suffered no broken bones. She said she hurt "everywhere" following the impact.
Wagner, who managed to jump out of the way of the vehicle, estimated in court that the vehicle was travelling up to 70 kilometres an hour.
"Looking up I noticed Jordan at first because she was closest to me," said Wagner.
"(Kimberley) was in the middle of the street. She went at least 35-40 feet."
O’Hara testified that she has no recollection of being on Jasper Avenue on the night in question. Her first memory is waking up in a hospital bed "in a lot of pain and ripping whatever was attached to me off of me. The nurses came and held me down," said O’Hara.
O’Hara told court that in addition to suffering a broken leg, broken hip and fractured pelvis, she also awoke without the ability to properly communicate.
"When people were talking to me, I couldn’t understand," she said.
"It was like a different language, not English."
It took weeks before O’Hara was able to verbally communicate following speech therapy classes, according to her testimony.
Stewardson, who was released from hospital a few hours after the incident, told court she is still limited physically from doing exercise and that she is mentally unwell.
"I am angry. I have PTSD. I’m an angry person. Short. I’ve ruined relationships because of it. It’s a constant battle every day. It’s like a vicious circle. I get mad I can’t do things at the gym. Every day I get triggers of what happened," said Stewardson.
Sharif has pleaded not guilty to 11 charges, including five of attempted murder.
Sharif is representing himself in court. Speaking through a Somali translator he has not cross-examined a single witness.
The trial continues on Tuesday.