Clayton Ball was asked to describe the injuries he suffered in the hit-and-run crash that left him in the trauma center at a London hospital.
The Sarnia resident, 24 at the time of the Aug. 21, 2020, collision on a small cul-de-sac near Murphy Road and Exmouth Street, said the physical trauma was life changing.
“My face was in half. My leg was in half. My back was broken. Arm’s broken. My other leg was broken,” he tested Monday in a Sarnia courtroom. “It was horrifying, to say the least.”
Nearly two years later, Ball appeared to be walking around the courtroom without any obvious signs of injury during breaks in the trial for Noah Bristol, the young man from Petrolia accused by police of hitting him with a pickup truck and fleeing that Thursday night. But Nick Cake, Bristol’s criminal defense lawyer, struck one of Ball’s nerves when he suggested he had motivated to come off as a “true victim” as an online fundraiser for him and his young family, including a newborn son at the time, brought in more than $15,000 to help pay their bills.
“I was a victim. I was almost dead,” Ball responded in an initially calm voice.
The tradesman then became emotional as he listed his various family members, including his young son, who were almost left without him in their lives.
“I was left for dead. He didn’t even think to call an ambulance? To call anyone? I was left for dead,” Ball said in a loud voice as his mother began crying in the gallery.
Bristol, 20 at the time, turned himself in four days after the incident and was charged with dangerous driving, assault with a weapon, failing to stop at the scene of a crash resulting in bodily harm, and failing to comply with a release order, Sarnia police said at the time. Bristol previously pleaded not guilty to all four charges and a trial continued Monday.
Ball and another witness took the stand, detailing what happened that day and how the crash unfolded. Ball and a handful of friends had spent the day at the beach before stopping at one of their homes for dinner and then heading to the Blue Line Pub and Lounge.
Since he was driving his grandmother’s white Dodge pickup, Ball limited himself to just a couple of drinks at the pub before calling it a night. But when a friend received a call about an altercation at his mother’s house on Netherlands Place, Ball decided to drive that friend over and help de-escalate the situation.
While parking near the First Christian Reformed Church Sarnia, Bristol – an acquaintance who, coincidentally, they had bumped into earlier at the beach – jumped into the pickup’s cab with them. Bristol’s girlfriend then started hitting the pickup multiple times, prompting Ball to get out to make sure his grandma’s truck wasn’t damaged.
That’s when the truck abruptly took off. Ball was asked by assistant Crown attorney Sarah Carmody what his next memory was.
“Waking up in the hospital,” Ball responded.
Ball said his memory has been affected by a “pretty good head” injury. He had a plate inserted into his jaw, which was wired shut, and he needed multiple surgeries for various broken bones, the mother of his child told The Observer at the time.
Stefan Refler, who was with Ball for the majority of the day and witnessed the crash, also tested Monday. He wasn’t exactly sure why, but recalled Bristol wanted to leave the Netherlands Place area immediately after getting in the truck, despite Ball getting out to look for damage.
“Clayton stepped out of the truck and walked around. Noah jumped from his backseat to the passenger – to the driver’s seat and drove off,” he said.
Refler said Bristol sped away and drove aggressively.
“I think even a door was still open and slammed shut while he was turning the corner,” he said.
Bristol turned left onto Exmouth Street, Refler recalled. Sarnia police said the pickup was found in the area of Elizabeth Avenue just south of Exmouth Street – about 350 meters away from the church – but no one was around.
Shortly after Ball’s emotional ending to his testimony, the trial was adjourned. It will continue June 6.