Ann McGilloway arriving at the inquest in Buncrana. (North West Newspix)
A woman who clipped off a car just seconds before it was involved in a head-on collision killing eight men has denied she was on the wrong side of the road.
Ann McGilloway was giving her evidence at the inquest into Ireland’s worst ever road crash at Inishowen Coroner’s Court in Buncrana today.
The 62 year old woman from Clonmany was returning home from bingo when she partially collided with a car being driven by Shaun Kelly, 27.
Seven of Mr Kelly’s friends and pensioner Hugh Friel, 66, were killed following a car crash on the evening of July 11th, 2010, an incident which resulted in Kelly being jailed for after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing death.
Mrs McGilloway admitted that she did not have a valid NCT, had a worn front left tyre and a broken left front headlight.
However her solicitor Mr Frank Dorrian said his client had not been prosecuted and was not on trial.
He said that Mr Kelly had already pleaded guilty in the circuit court to dangerous driving causing the deaths of eight men and that his client should not be held responsible in any way.
He insisted “My client cannot and will not be exposed to some kind of attack that someone is going to spring a trap on a citizen and suggest on some level that she could be implicated in the death of eight people,” he said.
He added that if Shaun Kelly had any evidence he could take it to the court of appeal and blame whoever he wishes.
Mrs McGilloway was asked questions from the floor from a number of members of the bereaved families.
On several occasion, Mr Dorrian advised Mrs McGilloway not to answer various questions from the floor and reminded the court that she was not facing prosecution.
Mr Eamon Sweeney, father of the late Ciaran Sweeney, said he did not want to apportion blame to her but asked Mrs McGilloway if she considered her Renault Megane car to be roadworthy.
However Coroner Dr John Madden said Ms McGilloway was not a mechanic and not qualified to answer the question.
Reading her statement, Mrs McGilloway told how, on the night of July 11th, 2010 she overtook Mr Hughie Friel after the North Pole Bar between Buncrana and Clonmany after leaving St Mary’s Hall in Buncrana having played bingo.
She said the reason she overtook Mr Friel was because he drove very slowly but added that she was only driving at between 40 and 50mph.
She then revealed how she saw a black car coming at speed towards her and it veered over the white line onto her side of the road while the driver tried to pull the steering wheel back towards his side of the road.
“I then said to myself “Thank God, he is going to miss me,” she said.
She then heard a loud bang and the airbags in her car went off and her car “seemed to slide for ages” before coming to a stop.
She eventually managed to get out of her car and a passing couple contacted the emergency services.
Under questioning from the families Mrs McGilloway added “I was not on the wrong side of the road, I was on the right side of the road.”
Coroner Dr John Madden reminded Ms McGilloway that she did not have to answer any questions that will incriminate her in any way.
However Mr Anthony Friel, brother of the late Hugh Friel said “I want answers and I will get them here today. I lost my brother. Before I leave I will get answers or I will stop the whole lot.”
Through day two of the inquest, Mr MacLochlainn and barrister Stephen Byrne, representing the Garda Commissioner, engaged in legal argument.
Mr Byrne accused Mr MacLochlainn of continually “grandstanding” while Mr MacLochlainn accused the Gardai of not allowing questions to be answered.
Mr Byrne said at one point that Gardai were not engaged in any kind of “cover-up” as had been suggested by Mr MacLochlainn.
Garda Sgt Carol Doherty gave evidence of being summoned to the scene of the crash and finding the bodies of the dead men including one which was found in a nearby river.
Evidence from various emergency response personnel including Garda Brendan Roche of Buncrana Garda station, Mr James McKenna, chief fire officer at Buncrana Fire Station and Duncan McDaniels, station officer at Carndonagh Fire Station was also heard.
The inquest resumes again tomorrow.
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