Montreal man found not guilty in accident that left American tourist in coma

A 37-year-old Montreal man has been found not guilty in a case of leaving the scene of an accident on St. Laurent Boulevard in June 2017 that left a young American tourist in a coma for several weeks, resulting in traumatic brain damage.

It was only a month and a half after the incident that Brian Doyle found out police were looking for him, after he happened to see his picture in a newspaper article.

Doyle and a friend had just met Zachary Zelinsky that night and spent part of it drinking.

During his trial last month, Doyle denied up and down that he knew Zelinsky tried to get into the back of Doyle's car, jumped onto the trunk and slipped, falling on his head.  

Quebec Court Judge Dennis Galiatsatos did not believe Doyle on that aspect but he did when Doyle testifed that Zelinsky later became aggressive and confrontational when he approached Doyle's car. Doyle testified he drove away from the parking lot out of self-defence, afraid of what Zelinsky might do.

"I conclude that the accused was in imminent peril or danger, that he had no reasonable legal alternative to the action taken, and that his action was proportional to the risk faced," said Galiatsatos in his March 1 ruling.

Zelinsky's father Mark said that's out of character with what his son would do, adding they are very disappointed with the ruling.

"The judge gave him a pass, a Get out of jail card. Meanwhile my son is reeling from what's probably going to be a life-long debilitation," said Mark Zelinsky in an interview with CJAD 800.

The judge also said the injuries happened because of Zelinsky's own actions.

Zelinsky has no recollection of the incident because of his injuries.