Accused admits fleeing scene in dangerous driving trial

A Lithuanian man on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court accused of dangerous driving causing the death of a elderly man admitted to gardaí that he left the accident scene and cleaned blood from his car.

Romas Petrosius (24) told gardaí after his arrest that he wished to extend his sympathies to the dead man's family and said he hoped the courts would not punish him because it had been an accident.

Petrosius, of Grosvenor Square, Rathmines has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Thomas Kealy at Dolphin's Barn Bridge, Rialto on May 20, 2006.

Garda Declan Boland told Mr Michael Bowman BL, prosecuting, that Mr Petrosius attended voluntarily at Kilmainham Garda Station on the evening of the accident after being contacted by gardaí who had traced him through his car registration.

Mr Petrosius initially denied being involved and said he had been at his friend's house at the time.

Gda Boland said Mr Petrosius later told gardai that he had been driving through Dolphin's Barn on his way to a friend's house when he saw a man walk out on the road. He said he blew his horn at him and assumed the man was going to stop to let him pass.

Mr Petrosius told gardaí that the man began to run, then fell down about two or three metres from his car and he was unable to avoid hitting him. He said he was travelling at about 50 kilometres per hour.

He told gardaí that by the time he hit the brakes the man was already under the car and it drove over him.

Mr Petrosius said he got out of his car and ran to where the man was lying on the road but saw he was dead.

He said he asked a man nearby to call an ambulance and then got back into his car. He drove a distance down the road, cleaned the blood from the front of his car with his hand, then wiped it in the grass.

Mr Petrosius told gardaí he then got a phone call from his brother to say the gardaí were looking for him so he went straight home.

Mr Petrosius said in his statement to gardaí that he was "very scared" after the accident because nothing like that had happened to him before and he was sorry that he had lied in his first interview.

He said he wished to extend his sympathies to Mr Kealy's family on their loss. He said he hoped that the courts would not punish him because it had been an accident and he felt his life was ruined.

Gda Boland agreed with defence counsel, Mr Thomas O'Connell SC (with Mr William Galvin BL), that Mr Petrosius had no previous convictions and had worked in a warehouse after coming to Ireland three years ago until he was forced to leave the job when he suffered an accident himself.

Gda Boland agreed that Mr Petrosius had been on bail for two years during which he had abided by strict conditions, including surrendering his passport, and attending court on all occasions.

Garda Grainne McCauley told Mr O'Connell, during cross examination, that Mr Petrosius had been given back his passport last year to travel to Lithuania for his mother's funeral. She said he returned one week later and immediately surrendered his passport to gardaí.

The trial continues before Judge Patricia Ryan and a jury of seven women and five men.