An Alberta power company worker testified he believed he was going to die when two men shot him through the arm and demanded his keys and truck, leading to a race for his life and the death of a county employee.
Matthew Andres, 41, told a Calgary jury on Tuesday that on Aug. 6, 2024, while doing survey work east of Calgary, he heard a vehicle approach. The passenger shot him with a silver pistol.
“After I felt the shot, I turned to look at the individual and, yes, he did have a weapon. They were pointing it at my head,” Andres said.
Andres told the men his keys were in the truck and the engine was running. He said the pair approached him three times as he lay on the ground. When they moved toward his vehicle, Andres fled, hiding in a ditch.
A white Rocky View County truck driven by Colin Hough, 45, slowed near the burning vehicle. Andres said the two men rushed Hough’s truck and fired shots. The Crown says Hough staggered and collapsed dead. His vehicle was found abandoned.
Andres ran for his life and made a frantic 911 call. The Crown says a .45-calibre bullet was found where Hough collapsed and a 9-mm shell casing near Andres.
Arthur Penner, 37, was arrested five days later in Edmonton. Elijah Strawberry, 29, was found after a month hiding on the O’Chiese First Nation. Both have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and attempted murder. The trial continues.