A FortisAlberta surveyor who narrowly escaped a violent rural carjacking told a Calgary courtroom Tuesday that he genuinely believed he would not survive the attack that claimed the life of a colleague near Chestermere.
Matthew Andres testified on Day 2 of the high-profile trial against Elijah Strawberry and Arthur Penner, both charged with second-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with the August 6, 2024 incident.
The Moment Everything Changed
Andres recounted the horrifying moment when a stolen truck pulled alongside him on a remote rural road north of Chestermere, where he was working as a Rocky View County surveyor. He initially thought the driver needed assistance.
"After I felt the shot I turned to look at the individual … they were pointing [a pistol] at my head," Andres testified. "They said 'keys.'"
What began as a possible plea for help quickly turned deadly. According to Andres' testimony, a person exited the vehicle, pulled a facemask over their face, and shot him in the arm without warning.
"I had gotten on the ground and just laid flat on my stomach," Andres told prosecutor Photini Papadatou. "I was screaming 'no' and 'please.'"
A Fight for Survival
As the gunman demanded his truck keys, Andres lay on the pavement, begging for his life. The shooter returned to him repeatedly, each time pointing the weapon directly at his head—moments that left Andres convinced his life was ending.
Once the gunman finally moved away, Andres made a desperate decision: run. He tore off his red safety vest and sprinted from the scene, eventually stumbling and falling before taking refuge in a ditch with tall grass.
"I was trying to save my own life," he said from the witness stand.
From his hiding spot, Andres watched for passing vehicles. When several cars finally appeared, he stood in the middle of the road, flagging them down for help.
A Deadly Follow-Up
Minutes after Andres was shot, Colin Hough, a 45-year-old Rocky View County employee, was fatally shot at the same rural intersection. The Crown's case centres on allegations that Strawberry and Penner were operating the stolen truck when it broke down, triggering the violent carjacking.
The trial, overseen by Court of King's Bench Justice Shane Parker, is expected to run four weeks. Andres' testimony marks a crucial moment in the prosecution's effort to establish what happened during the shocking attack that left one man dead and another clinging to life on an Alberta country road.
This reporting is based on testimony from the ongoing trial of Elijah Strawberry and Arthur Penner. Original reporting by CBC Calgary.