The defense took over Friday in the murder trial of Clara Harris. The first defense witness spent hours reconstructing the accident for jurors, News2Houston reported.

Clara Harris couldn't have killed her cheating husband by running over him repeatedly with her Mercedes-Benz because the speeding car can't turn that tightly again and again, collision expert Steve Irwin testified.

"If you get in this car and make a turn and rocket left you can never get back to that mark," Irwin testified, describing blood left on the pavement where David Harris' body landed 65 feet from where he first was hit the night of July 24.

Irwin, the first defense witness after prosecutors rested their case Friday, testified Clara Harris' car had a turning radius of 20 feet, preventing her from circling and hitting the body numerous times.

Irwin said that Clara Harris hit David Harris once, then he fell on the hood of the car and hit the ground as the driver's side wheels rolled over him.

Witnesses at Harris' trial have disagreed on the number of times the orthodontist was hit. One prosecution witness said David Harris was struck twice; another said five times.

Clara Harris, 44, is accused of running down her husband in the parking lot of the Hilton Nasa Clear Lake, Nasa Road 1, after finding him with another woman.

Prosecutors say she intentionally ran over her husband, also 44. Defense attorneys contend his death was accidental.

In a tedious first hour of testimony, Irwin talked about the accuracy of charts and diagrams he constructed of the parking lot based on police reports plus the 1,400 measurements he made there.

A male juror, who has nodded off throughout the trial, visibly fought to stay awake and his eyes were closed when State District Judge Carol Davies decided to break for lunch.

On Thursday, outside the presence of the jury, Irwin told Davies he would testify Harris fell on the hood of his wife's car when she struck him and then hit the ground as the driver's side wheels rolled over him.

Davies said she would allow Irwin to talk about the route the Mercedes-Benz took and the speeds it achieved when the orthodontist was hit, but said the reconstructionist could not offer an opinion on how many times Harris was struck.

If convicted, Clara Harris faces up to life in prison. If jurors determine she acted under the legal definition of sudden passion, they could consider a lighter sentence of two to 20 years in prison.

Previous Stories:

• January 30, 2003: Accusations Fly After Harris Daughter Testifies
• January 30, 2003: State Rests In Clara Harris Case
• January 29, 2003: Harris' Daughter Testifies: 'She Meant To Kill Him'
• January 29, 2003: Stepdaughter To Testify In Clara Harris' Trial
• January 28, 2003: Harris Cries Uncontrollably, Removed From Trial
• January 27, 2003: Private Investigator Testifies In Clara Harris Trial
• January 27, 2003: Clara Harris Trial Enters Second Week
• January 23, 2003: Witnesses Describe Harris Running Over Husband
• January 22, 2003: Jury Seated In Clara Harris Trial
• January 22, 2003: Jury Selection Continues In Harris' Murder Trial
• January 21, 2003: Jurors To Be Picked For Clara Harris' Trial
• January 16, 2003: Harris' Stepdaughter's Remarks Spark Debate
• November 19, 2002: Audiotapes Allege Clara Harris Also Having Affair
• November 1, 2002: Harris Featured In Magazine Article
• October 18, 2002: Clara Harris Pleads Not Guilty
• October 10, 2002: Grand Jury Indicts Clara Harris
• September 18, 2002: Custody Battle Stems From High-Profile Murder
• August 23, 2002: Clara Harris' Murder Trial Set
• August 2, 2002: Slain Orthodontist's Daughter Files Suit
• July 31, 2002: P.I. Turns Over Video Of Dentist's Death
• July 29, 2002: Judge: Dentist To Remain Free
• July 26, 2002: Wife Free After Allegedly Running Over Husband
• July 25, 2002: Police: Wife Runs Over Cheating Husband