‘I didn’t see her,’ York cop accused in teen pedestrian death testifies

A York regional police officer says he didn’t see the 18-year-old woman he is accused of hitting with his unmarked pickup truck back in 2014.

Const. Remo Romano, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of dangerous driving causing death in connection with the incident, wiped away tears as he recounted the events of that night.

Natasha Carla Abogado, 18, who was on her way home from work, was crossing St. Clair Avenue East, near Warden Avenue, around 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 12, 2014, when she was struck by the truck. She died at the scene.

In June of that year, the province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said the unmarked vehicle was being driven by the York police officer who was on-duty at the time investigating break-ins on commercial properties in the area.

On Monday, TTC driver Dean Good testified he recalls Abogado getting off the bus as she said goodnight under her breath. Good said he made eye contact with her to make sure she didn’t cut in front of the bus to cross St Clair. She didn’t cut across, he said.

Romano, now 44, said he, and five other undercover officers, were conducting surveillance that night and was following a white van. He kept getting caught at the red lights, which put him “behind the play.”

He said he was was going through a green light at the intersection, travelling around 109 km/h trying to catch up to his team. He said the roadway was clear and he felt he was in control of his truck.

“At the last minute a person appeared in front of me. I couldn’t avoid, don’t know if it was a man or woman,” Romano said, before pausing to wipe his eyes.

Romano said he swerved to the right and got out to see who he had hit.

“[I] didn’t see the person, all I saw was the face,” he said.

“I made a distress call to the lead officer that I had hit someone and then I called 911,” he said, making the call while he stood by the truck.

“I stood there in shock […] people were screaming,” he recounts.

Romano was taken to hospital “I guess for shock,” he said. He was given a doctor’s note to take days off and was driven home.

The officer, who is an 13-year veteran of the force, has had his driver’s licence suspended, and been assigned to administrative duties pending outcome of the trial.

In the cross-examination, Crown attorney Phil Perlmutter questioned whether driving at a speed of around 100-105 km/h is “egregiously unsafe,” to which Romano said he was in “full control” of his vehicle.

However, when the Crown questioned that he may not have been in control enough to avoid unexpected events and that it was possible someone could have been jaywalking, he said yes, but added “that’s a risk you take by jaywalking.”

“Yes, they shouldn’t be jaywalking […] but they do. They can’t tell how fast those cars are coming, but expect they are going 50 km/h, not like a rocket,” Perlmutter replied.

“I didn’t see her,” Romano said as he dropped his head.

Romano was going 115 km/h when he hit the woman at St. Clair and Heron avenues, the court heard.

The speed limit changes from 50 km/h changes to 60 km/h after that intersection, but Romano said it is his belief he could drive 70 km/h over the limit and still be safe, adding he knew the area.

Earlier in the testimony, the Crown asked Romano: “What’s your position in this trial? Is it that you were in lawful performance of your duties and exempt from Highway Traffic Act laws, and you were allowed to travel twice the legal speed limit at 8 p.m. at night in an area of darkness?”

“Yes,” he replied.

“And Ms. Abogado, she is solely responsible for stepping in front of your truck while jaywalking?,” Perlmutter pushed on.

“Yes sir,” Romano replied.

The Crown suggested he didn’t follow his training because he didn’t watch out for pedestrians in a residential area.

“If you were driving over the speed limit but slower you wouldn’t have killed this woman,” the Crown said.

“Yes, but she was in the middle of the road,” Romano replied.

“Isn’t is common sense that if you were driving slower you would have more time to see her?,” the Crown questioned.

“Not if people are stepping out into the road. If I was just driving and not working, possibly,” Romano replied.

The trial, which began earlier this week, goes to the jury on Tuesday. If found guilty, Romano could face a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

With files from Marianne Boucher