Man accused of running over, killing Boris Brott takes the stand

Arsenijie Lojovic, accused of running over and killing renowned musician Boris Brott, took the stand in his own defence at John Sopinka Courthouse on Thursday.

Lojovic told the court he couldn’t remember some of his alleged poor driving, including going the wrong way down one-way streets and running through red lights.

READ MORE: Court watches chaotic video caught of driver accused in Boris Brott hit-and-run

Lojovic says he does remember the impact of hitting Brott as he turned from Markland St. onto Park St. South on Apr. 5, 2022. Both are one-way streets and he was travelling down them the wrong way.

He told the court he saw a white vehicle coming towards him as he makes the turn and says he swerved to avoid the car and hit Brott in the process.

The Crown played surveillance video which captured the moment Brott was hit which shows there was no white vehicle coming towards him. There was a truck parked on the side of the road.

Lojovic’s testimony began with an overview of some of his medical problems which included a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in 2011 when he was 23, after he had been self-medicating with alcohol.

He told the court in the months leading up to hitting Brott that his mental health problems increased. He says he was in and out of St. Joseph’s hospital in Hamilton and had his dosage of an anti-psychotic medication increased.

READ MORE: Court hears evidence about a wild car ride that ended in Boris Brott’s death

On the morning of the hit and run, Lojovic says he took his mom’s car without permission. He left his parent’s home in Grimsby for a Walmart on Upper James St.

The Crown pushed back on that claim and asked why he didn’t turn in when he passed the Walmart at Upper James St. and Fennell Ave.

Multiple witnesses have testified they saw Lojovic driving in the wrong direction, speeding and weaving in and out of traffic on the mountain and in the downtown.

Lojovic says he couldn’t remember police trying to pull him over and stop him, all before he struck Brott.

When asked why he left the scene after hitting Brott, he said, “I was in shock, ’cause I knew that I just hit someone. I really was in shock, I know that doesn’t make it right leaving the scene, but I felt like it was fight or flight.”

He claimed he was afraid the police would hurt him for what he did.

During cross examination, the Crown asked who he thought wanted to fight him. He had no answer and it was suggested Lojovic had a selective memory and was lying about not remembering things.

READ MORE: Trial of man accused of fatal hit-and-run of Boris Brott underway

The Crown played a video of Lojovic driving the wrong way down Main St. nearly hitting two people on the rainbow crosswalk at city hall, and finally turning onto Caroline St.

Lojovic denied it was him driving the car.

Brott’s wife sat gently crying as Lojovic testified, with the family leaving the room when the Crown played the video of Brott being hit.

The defence will continue its case Friday at 10 a.m. at John Sopinka Courthouse.