Grader driver told to slow down before pedestrian was killed, court hears

The City of Greater Sudbury's field inspector testifies he warned the grader operator about several issues just prior to a fatal incident on Elgin Street in 2015.

The city is facing six charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It's in connection with the death of Cecile Paquette, 58, who was killed when she was backed over by a grader on a construction site on Elgin Street.

Interpaving, the company contracted to do the work, was found guilty of one charge and fined $195,000.

On Thursday, city field inspector John Temelini testified he was in the work trailer on site when Paquette was killed.

Temelini said that he had previously warned the grader operator that he needed a flagman while he worked and the grader needed to slow down.

'Chaos at the intersection'

"He was going pretty quick," he said of the speed the grader was driving.

Temelini also testified there were a lot of problems with pedestrians walking through the construction site throughout the project.

He referred to an earlier day on the construction site about two weeks before the fatality where there weren't any police on site for traffic control.

"There was chaos at the intersection," he said.

Rob Rocca, a city employee who was the project manager of the site also testified on Thursday.

He said on the day of the fatal incident he was in the work trailer on site when he heard screaming outside.

Rocca says he didn't want to see the scene so he stayed in the trailer and notified his supervisor.

Tony Ceccutti, the city's general manager of growth and infrastructure services, also testified on Thursday.

Ceccutti was asked about the wording within contracts the city has with contractors for construction work.

Both sides will now submit written closing arguments to the judge next month. The judge is expected to make a decision June 13.