A witness told the Circuit Criminal Court yesterday that he was shocked at the speed of a car which was in a collision which left a teenager dead and a child seriously injured.
Mr Derek Campbell, a resident of Bray, was giving evidence in the trial at the Circuit Criminal Court in Dublin of a Co Offaly man involved in the three-car collision.
At least five other people were injured when two cars collided and spun on to the other side of the road, where one of them struck a third vehicle.
Mr Patrick Spollen (37), of Molesworth House, Daingean, Co Offaly, has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Joseph Mulcahy (16) on the N11 at Fassaroe, Bray, Co Wicklow, on June 23rd, 1997.
Mr Luan O Braonain, prosecuting, told the jury that Mr Spollen was driving a Mercedes which collided with the Subaru in which the dead youth was travelling. The Subaru was driven by a Marianist, Brother John Sullivan.
Mr Campbell said he was being driven by his wife when the Subaru passed their car at great speed. He was shocked at how fast it was going. He then saw the Mercedes cross over to the outside lane and the Subaru hit it.
He had already shouted to his wife to take evasive action.
Both the Mercedes and the Subaru crossed the central reservation on to the opposite lane, where the Subaru and a Volvo collided.
Brother Sullivan told Mr O Braonain that he could not remember anything about the collision.
"I've tried and tried to remember, but I remember nothing," he told the jury. Cross-examined by Mr Richard Keane SC, defending, he denied that he was speeding because he wanted to bring his passengers home on time, and that he was a fast driver.
He had no recollection of events around the time of the collision. "I'm totally confused and upset. I'm thinking `Is it me?'," he said.
Mr Max Tracy said he was a passenger in a Volvo car travelling northwards on the N11 when he saw a light through a hedge in the middle of the road. The Volvo then hit a Subaru car which came at them from the other side of the road.
The trial continues before Judge Dominic Lynch and a jury.