Milton Urgiles, a 46-year-old Toronto native ensnared in a criminal case due to alleged negligence resulting in death, finally appeared before a Barrie courtroom on Tuesday to testify about a fatal dump truck crash three years prior near Alliston.
Identifying himself as the liaison between trucking enterprises and their drivers, Urgiles unspooled the sequence of events that culminated in the tragic accident on September 22, 2020, which took the life of Denis Garant, a 53-year-old dump truck driver.
Prior to presenting his version of events, Urgiles requested a moment’s grace to express his heartfelt condolences to Garant’s family, including his surviving wife and son. He professed his profound sorrow over the loss of their loved one.
Garant had driven a dump truck owned by EcuaCan Excavating, the company for which Urgiles worked. After an investigation, it was determined that Garant’s truck had abandoned its route, embarking on a fatal journey into a ditch, and then onto its final destination — a tree along the Ajala-Tecumseth Townline.
Urgiles’ account didn’t fail to include his strained rapport with his business partner and the actual owner of the company, Janeth Zambrano. Due to the legal proceedings against him, he claimed their relationship had tumbled into discord. Zambrano, who had been subpoenaed as a witness against her partner, was issued an arrest warrant for failure to appear in court.
Trial evidence from September revealed that Garant had sent Urgiles a text the night before the accident, voicing concerns about potential steering problems with the truck. During proceedings, Urgiles recounted how he had spent the hours of 8 to 11:30 PM inspecting the 2006 Freightliner.
In his own words, Urgiles said, “I scrutinized the truck thoroughly. I did a complete circle check, and everything appeared to be in perfect condition from the tires to the motor.” He further expressed that he was unable to detect any abnormalities that would have warranted reporting the truck unfit for operation to his boss (Zambrano).
On the day of the disastrous event, early at around 5:20 AM, Urgiles said he made a call to Garant, who was scheduled to work on a site near Highway 27 and Finch Avenue. Assuring Garant of the truck’s roadworthiness, Urgiles implored him to report any issues immediately.
Tragically, two hours post this conversation, Garant was dead, his truck marred by a fatal crash near Alliston. Eight months later, Urgiles found himself accused by the authorities when investigators uncovered a mechanical defect as the cause of the catastrophe.
In Urgiles’ final notes, he spoke of having replaced both front tires on the ill-fated truck just two weeks before the accident, following a blowout on the front-left one. For Urgiles and his colleagues, the fear of a blowout was a constant worry.
The case proceeds, with cross-examination from the Crown slated to commence in mid-November of this year.
