A woman has gone on trial accused of dangerous driving causing the deaths of her niece and nephew.
Vera Murden (40) of Fatima Court, Dundalk, Co Louth has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing the deaths of brother and sister Jayden (1) and Jenna Murden (4).
Dundalk circuit criminal court heard today they were five children travelling with Ms Murden in a Hyundai Santa Fe SUV which left the road and crashed into the wall of a former pub at the junction of Maxwell Row and Newry bridge in Dundalk just before 4pm on the 31st January 2009.
Jenna died on the 24th February and Jayden died on the 10th March.
A number of garda witnesses who were at the accident scene said there were no child seats or booster seats to correctly restrain the children.
A motorist, who saw the SUV hit the building through his rear view mirror, said he had first noticed it as it passed by him. He said the speed it was travelling at "excessive" speed.
Mr Shane Finnegan also said he saw it strike the building and he did not remember seeing the brake lights on it.
However when Mr Giollaiosa O'Lideadha, defending, put it to him that the lights he had seen on the vehicle could have been brake lights that were seen on a continuous basis because a foot was being pressed down on the pedal, Mr Finnegan said, "That's possible, yes."
When Mr O'Lideadha put it to him that he had told gardaí the speed was stupid and ridiculous rather than dangerous, Mr Finnegan also agreed with him.
He also agreed that at the speed you could not safely take a right hand turn or a left hand turn.
Mr Finnegan was the first person at the scene and said there was a lot of smoke and he saw children in the back of the car. He said they were more or less on top of one another.
The court heard he had lifted out a boy and then a girl and that other motorists who came on the scene also helped.
After the crash, Vera Murden sat in the passenger seat of the car of a passing driver, Carol
Hutchinson. Ms Hutchinson said she asked Ms Murden what happened and she replied she thought she took a fit of some sort.
Garda Sean O'Callaghan, Dundalk was one of the first gardai at the scene and he said there were no booster chairs or baby chairs to restrain the children.
Garda Theresa Heakin also said there were no childrens seats or booster seats nor was there any damage to the seat belts.
The court heard the other children in the car were John (10), a brother of the deceased children, Chloe (8) another niece of the accused and Conor (8) who is a son of the accused.
Opening the case for the prosecution Mr Jonathan Kilfeather said it was by nature a sad case and tragic case.
The issue is whether or not the driving of the accused was dangerous driving, as alleged, and the task required of the jury was to judge the quality of her driving on the day in question.
The trial continues before Judge Michael O'Shea.