Wreckage of fatal crash ‘worst seen in urban setting’

The wreckage at the scene of a fatal three-car crash was the worst a forensic engineer had ever seen in an urban area, he told the High Court in Limerick yesterday.

A man who was jailed for dangerous driving causing the death of a young woman is seeking damages for injuries received in the high- speed crash, in which it is alleged he was racing another driver when his car careered out of control.

Gearoid Cleary, aged 32, is suing the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland for damages, claiming the incident would not have happened if he had not been “violently rammed” from behind by the uninsured driver of a high-powered BMW.

Mr Cleary, of Ballinacurra Gardens, Limerick, was jailed for four years after being found guilty of dangerous driving causing the death of Emma Woodland, 19, on Mulgrave St, on September 9, 2006. Yesterday, forensic engineer Thomas Hayes, cross-examined by MIBI counsel Michael Gleeson, agreed he had never come across a scene with such crash damage in an urban 50kph setting.

Mr Gleeson claimed Mr Cleary and Roman Andreas engaged in a high-speed race which led to the crash.

In evidence, Mr Cleary denied he had got into a race and

did not know nor had he ever met Mr Andreas.

John O’Sullivan, forensic collision inspector, said if Mr Cleary’s car was not hit by Mr Andreas’ BMW, he would not have struck the Starlet in which Ms Woodland died.

The case continues.