Cyclists recount vehicle speeding on wrong side of road before fatal collision

Members of a Dublin cycling club have described how a car came around a bend towards them partly on their side of the road seconds before a collision which killed one of their group four years ago.

A sitting of Naas Circuit Criminal Court heard evidence from several members of Orwell Wheelers Cycling Club in Dundrum who recalled being startled at how the vehicle had crossed over a continuous white line at speed.

Kevin Hutchinson (29) of Roberstown West, Robertstown, Co Kildare has pleaded not guilty to a charge of dangerous driving causing the death of Tonya McEvoy on February 12th, 2017 at Rathcoffey, Co Kildare.

The collision occurred while Ms McEvoy (34) of Moyville, Rathfarnham, Co Dublin, was on a training cycle to Maynooth in a group of 16 riders from the Orwell Wheelers.

One of the cyclists, Robert Tully told the court that he was at the front of the group as they approached a bend on the Newtown Road in Rathcoffey.

Mr Tully said he had shouted out “f**king w**ker” at the driver as he had “cut the corner” and was “over the line”.

Asked by counsel for the DPP, Daniel Boland BL, if he had any concern for his own safety, Mr Tully replied: “I was just seconds away. If we had not pulled over, it could have been me.”

The witness said the speed of the vehicle seemed “excessive” and appeared to accelerate as it came around the bend.

The trial heard a number of vehicles were parked on the other side of the road before the bend by people attending a nearby church.

Mr Tully agreed with counsel for the defendant, Feargal Kavanagh SC, that cars coming from the other direction would be forced to cross the white line due to the parked vehicles, but said “forced” was a bad choice of words.

Asked if the cyclists should have slowed down because of that, he replied: “We don’t drive down the middle of the road.”

He rejected a suggestion by Mr Kavanagh that they could have been cycling up to four abreast at the time because of changes at the front of the group.

The trial heard the cyclists were members of the club’s orange group which represented experienced cyclists who had an average speed of 28-30km/h.

The trial before Judge Patrick Quinn and a jury of seven men and four women is taking place in Drogheda due to Covid-19 space restrictions in Naas courthouse.