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Witness testifies in trial of driver of truck where a boy fell and died
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Posted on Feb 15 2012
By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter
Reporter
One of the occupants of a pickup truck where a 15-year-old boy fell from the back last August and subsequently died, testified yesterday in the ongoing jury trial in Superior Court of the driver who is facing nine charges.
The government’s witness is the first cousin of defendant Vincent Felix Lieto Fitial. The witness is also the uncle of the victim, Wilben Herman Lieto.
The witness testified how Lieto fell from the truck on Aug. 31, 2011 on a dirt road in Tanapag.
Lieto died the following day due to head injuries.
The witness said there were three of them, including Lieto, in the back of the truck driven by Fitial.
The group had just attended a family member’s funeral at Tanapag Cemetery. They were on their way home when the accident happened.
The witness estimated that the truck was traveling at least 20 miles per hour. He said Fitial avoided two potholes on the road.
The witness said Lieto was spitting out betelnut and fell down after the truck hit the second pothole.
“I saw him rolling toward the grass,” he said, adding that he shouted at Fitial to stop the vehicle.
When Saipan Tribune left the courtroom yesterday afternoon, assistant attorney general Shelli Neal was still conducting direct examination on the witness.
Assistant attorney general Nicole Driscoll is assisting Neal for the prosecution. Defense attorneys Michael Evangelista and Viola Alepuyo are counsels for the 21-year-old Fitial.
The Office of the Attorney General filed nine charges, including homicide by vehicle, against Fitial.
Fitial is the uncle of the deceased boy.
Evangelista earlier stated that this is a plain and simple unfortunate accident that occurred mere moments after the family buried one of their own.
In fact, Evangelista said, this accident occurred while the family was in the process of leaving the cemetery.
