An expert witness, Peel police Const. Paul Guse, testified the “critical curve speed” for the curve is 116 km/h in the first part, and 88 in the second. The critical curve speed, court was told, is the maximum speed at which a vehicle can safely proceed without losing control.

Hopkins took the stand in his own defence and denied racing, testifying he might have been going 80, but not 90 or 100. He testified a mechanical failure had caused the crash.

Woollcombe rejected Hopkins' assertion that there was a mechanical malfunction.

“In my view, this unexplained mechanical failure is a convenient but unbelievable explanation for what happened,” Woollcombe wrote in her decision. “I accept that it is possible, but I find that even with this possibility I am not left with a reasonable doubt that it was Mr. Hopkins’ driving that was dangerous and which caused the collision.”

As for Williams, Woollcombe found that he was the first of the pair to rev his engine at the stop light.

“I find that he instigated the racing by revving his engine twice,” she concluded. “He then drove from the intersection at Rutherford Road at an objectively dangerous rate of speed. The videos show that he was ahead of Mr. Hopkins and then fell slightly behind by the time they reached the Wasteco. But, I am prepared to find that for most of the time after the intersection, he actively engaged in the race, and chose to maintain a position parallel, or close to parallel, with Mr. Hopkins.”