A FIREMAN has told a jury how he ended up on a ditch lying on top of one of his colleagues, who was killed following a double road fatality in Co Limerick two years ago.
The evidence was given at Limerick Circuit Court yesterday at the trial of a 21-year-old man charged over the deaths of fireman Michael Liston and Garda Brian Kelleher.
Niall Shannon from Ballylongford, Co Kerry, has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing the deaths of the two men at Askeaton, Co Limerick, on February 25th, 2007. Fireman Eddie Murphy, who was working at the initial crash scene where a car had overturned, described seeing the men being propelled into the air after they were struck by Mr Shannon’s car. He said the car was heading towards him and as he got out of the way he got a heavy bang.
“When I got the belt I thought it was the car that hit me but it wasn’t, it was Mike,” he said. “When I ended up on top of the ditch, Mike was under me. It took me a few seconds to gather myself and when I realised it was Mike I tried to get up and check and see if he was still with us,” he continued.
He said he knew by the way Mr Liston was lying “that it wasn’t good”. The trial continues today.