Driver ‘did not see’ any lights at crash scene

A DEFENCE witness has disputed prosecution evidence at the trial of a driver charged in relation with the deaths of a Garda and a firefighter.

Michael Moroney, who is a driver with Shannondoc, an out-of-hours GP cooperative, said he did not see any sign or lights on the N69 as he approached Barrigone on February 25, 2007.

Evidence concluded yesterday in the trial of Niall Shannon, Lenamore, Ballylongford, who pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving when over the legal alcohol limit causing the deaths of Garda Brian Kelleher and firefighter Mike Liston.

Mr Moroney said he was the driver assigned to Dr Rodwell Van Heerdan on February 25, 2007, when they were out on calls. They were called to the scene of an accident at Barrigone and arrived there at 5.40am.

As he approached from the Foynes side, he could not see any lights as the area was shaded by trees. “Dr Rodwell said ‘you will never stop the car’, meaning that we were on top of the accident before we knew where we were. I stopped the car and it was not very easy — quite frightening actually because there were so many vehicles on the road.”

Mr Moroney said there was a garda car at the scene on its left side of the road more or less across the way from a fire tender and it had a blue light flashing.

Mr Moroney said there were no hazard lights flashing on a blue van parked behind the fire tender.

Michael Donnellan, station officer at Foynes fire station who drove the van, on being recalled to the witness box repeated his evidence that his van’s hazard lights were on.

Mr Moroney said he had come forward after getting a phone call last Sunday night. He was asked by a Mrs Wrenn — whom he “did not know from Adam” — if he would mind talking to their solicitor. He had never seen the accused, Niall Shannon, before and did not know him or his family.

Consultant engineer, Gerard O’Keeffe, said the fire brigade emergency sign placed on the Foynes side of first accident scene should have been further away as the accident had occurred at a lethal bend.

Mr O’Keeffe agreed that Shannon’s car would have had sufficient time to stop given the location of a fireman on the Foynes side carrying a hand beacon.

He further agreed that alcohol could have affected Shannon’s reaction time given his breath exceeded the legal limit.