YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The trial began Monday for a Poland doctor on charges stemming from a Berlin Reservoir boat crash that killed one person and injured another.

Doctor Joseph Yurich waived his right to a jury trial and the case is being heard by Mahoning County Common Pleas Judge John Durkin.

38-year old Yurich is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, aggravated vehicular assault, operating a watercraft while impaired and leaving the scene of an accident.  Investigators allege that after a day of drinking, Yurich crashed his speedboat into a fishing boat around midnight on May 9, 2015.

One man in the boat, 58-year old Neal Cuppett died of his injuries. The first witness was his wife of 22-years who talked about her husband's love of fishing and hunting.

The second witness was another man who was injured, Bruce Lindamood. He testified that just before the crash Cuppett said: "What's this guy doing"? , and he turned around to look. "After I turned around I saw the boat coming but it was almost an instant contact," said Lindamood.

Lindamood said he was knocked into the water and when he came to the surface, someone started yelling at him.

"I just remember seeing a bright light in my face and being screamed at," Lindamood said.  Prosecutors allege that person was Yurich, who left the scene without offering any help or assistance. 

Another witness was a member of the Portage County Sheriff's Department.  Lt. Richard Noland testified that the investigation shifted to Yurich when the doctor's wife called the 911 dispatch center.

"They had a female called on the phone who had advised that her husband had struck something on the water on Berlin Lake and he wanted to talk to someone about it," Noland stated.  

A focus during the first day of trial was a question about lights on the fishing boat.  Lindamood testified that it was his boat and that it had all of the required lights both front and back and they were turned on. He added that a lantern in the boat was also on at the time of the crash.

In its opening statement, the defense said it was an accident. A terrible, tragic accident.  The vehicular homicide and vehicular assault charges against Yurich are felonies, and a conviction could mean two to eight years, and one to five years in prison   

The bench trial resumes on Tuesday.