4x4 driver denies sleeping at wheel

THE DRIVER of a 4x4 that struck and killed a cyclist has denied in court that he fell asleep at the wheel.

At Ennis Circuit Court, Michael Dillon (38), Puirin, Inverin, Co Galway, told his trial yesterday that he did not feel tired when driving home from a diving outing in Co Kerry in June last year.

Mr Dillon's Nissan X-Trail 4x4 struck triathlete Howard Flannery (39) from behind. The father of four from Cahercalla, Ennis, Co Clare, was hit on the hard shoulder of the Ennis-Limerick dual-carriageway on June 3rd 2007.

Mr Dillon, a fitter, denies dangerous driving causing death.

On the second day of the trial, Stephen Coughlan, prosecuting, put it to Mr Dillon: "When all medical reasons are eliminated, all that is left is that you were fatigued and that you fell asleep and that is why you left the road."

Mr Dillon denied this.

Mr Coughlan said Mr Dillon had a 22-hour day the previous day when he got up at 5am to set out for Co Kerry on a diving outing with the Galway sub-aqua club.

Mr Dillon said he did not experience any fatigue before the crash.

Garda Maurice Nolan told the court that Mr Dillon failed to react when his vehicle struck Mr Flannery. The vehicle carried the victim and his bike for 76 metres on the windscreen of the car before it came to a stop.

The court was told that before the impact, Mr Dillon's vehicle veered off the dual-carriageway on to the grass verge for 70 metres before mounting a concrete ramp of an underpass to strike Mr Flannery.

Garda Nolan concluded that Mr Dillon suffered some form of blackout as he did not react to driving on the uneven ground at the grass verge and the loud noise of the impact. Mr Dillon took no evasive action before, during or after the incident.

A medical report on Mr Dillon said all results were normal and the "sudden unexplained event" was "unlikely to be explained". Tests for alcohol and drugs were negative. Mr Dillon had no previous convictions, the court heard.

Evidence concluded yesterday and closing arguments begin today.