TWO Derry men are facing jail today for causing the death of a grandfather when one of the two cars they were racing lost control and crashed into an on coming vehicle on the outskirts of the city four years ago.
David John Ritchie died at the scene on the Glenshane Road and his 17-year-old granddaughter, who had been his front seat passenger, was also injured.
In September, Stephen Edward Joseph Magee, (34) from Ivy Mead in the Altnagelvin area of Derry went on trial at Derry Crown Court and denied causing Mr Ritchie’s death by dangerous driving on April 17, 2013.
He will be sentenced today for causing Mr Ritchie’s death by careless driving.
His co-defendant in the case, Thomas Hyndman (27), from Knockbrack Road in Ardmore, was also to have gone on trial.
But just before the trial started he was re-arraigned on six charges relating to the fatal crash.
He pleaded guilty to causing Mr Ritchie’s death by dangerous driving, driving without insurance and while disqualified, failing to remain at the scene of the accident and failing to report the accident.
Hyndman also pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily injury to his co-defendant Magee by dangerous driving.
Magee sustained brain injuries in the fatal crash for which he is still being treated.
The jury heard that both Magee and Hyndman drove Vauxhall Astra cars at speed along the Glenshane Road, at times overtaking other vehicles.
They raced each other from a garage in the village of Drumahoe to the scene of the accident three miles away.
But Magee lost control and crashed into a roadside barrier, rebounding and veering into the path of the oncoming car being driven by Mr Ritchie.
The car driven by Magee spun in a clockwise direction, smashed into Mr Ritchie’s car and then crashed down a nearby embankment.
It was the prosecution case that the Astra cars had been engaged in racing at speed along a stretch of the Glenshane Road about three miles from Drumahoe before the collision took place near to Burntollet Bridge when one of the cars hit Mr Ritchie’s car coming the other way and in the correct lane of the road.
Tags: