Luas driver 'may have had difficulty seeing signal light'

The Luas driver whose tram was involved in a 2009 collision shed tears in court today, as the jury heard that he had made a mistake about the traffic signal.

Oriyomi Emmanuel of Jamestown Park, Ratoath, Co Meath denies unsafe operation of a tram at the junction of Middle Abbey Street and O’Connell Street on September 16, 2009.

Emmanuel told gardaí that he was sure the traffic lights had changed in his favour as he pulled into O'Connell street.

Within a moment he saw a yellow flash and heard a loud bang as the tram and a Dublin Bus were in collision.

He broke down in tears when CCTV footage of the collision showed the lights were against him.

Gardaí say that he became frantic and very very upset. Several times he repeated: "I thought I had the signal".

The 39-year-old cried again today in court as his lawyers said how proud he was of being a Luas driver.

The jury heard he told gardaí: "I gave up a marriage for this job … for a black man to get this job is very difficult."

The trial continues.