This was the scene of the truck-motorcycle accident that claimed the life of Dale T. Major in 2016.

Michael T. Burns' voice began to quiver and his eyes teared when he began recounting the day he killed Dale T. Major, 64, of Valencia.

Burns of Houston, Pa., took the stand Wednesday for the second day of his jury trial. He had only been working with Air Equipment Corp. for two weeks when, on July 26, 2016, he ran a red light using the company's Sterling truck at the intersection of Route 8 and Glade Mill Road in Middlesex Township and hit Major who was riding on his motorcycle. Major's cause of death was blunt force trauma.

Addressing the jury, Burns struggled to gain control of his voice as he told about the moments leading up to the accident.

“I'm pumping the brakes and leaning on the steering wheel,” Burns said, his face turning red, explaining that he continually hit the brake pedal but the truck wouldn't stop. “And I knew I wasn't going to get stopped in time.”

The state is charging Burns with felony homicide by vehicle, misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment.

Assistant district attorney Ben Simon, who is representing the state in this case, argued that Burns was ultimately responsible for Major's death because he neglected his responsibility as a commercial driver to take all necessary precautions before the trip to make sure the Sterling truck was road worthy.

Once Burns came to a halt after clearing Route 8, he said he got out of the truck and realized what had happened: Major was dead.

The jury is expected to hear closing arguments Thursday morning.

Read more the second day of Burn's jury trail in Thursday's Butler Eagle.