CRASH victim Dominic Arnold was not supposed to travel home in the car he died in, a court has heard.
The 16-year-old was not in Michael Wood’s VW Polo when it first left a car park in Broxton at midnight on December 10, Chester Crown Court heard on Tuesday.
But, realising Dominic did not have a lift back to Chester, Wood, 18, stopped near to the car park entrance to let the teenager in.
Two miles later the car lost control on a bend and back seat passengers Dominic and Tristan were killed.
Wood – known by his friends as Woody – has admitted dangerous driving by pulling handbrake turns on Sainsbury’s and Broxton car parks, but denied causing death by dangerous driving.
Another driver, Matthew Ferguson, denies dangerous driving and the pair are on trial this week.
Their friend Robert Shacklady, 19, from Boughton, was sitting in the front seat of the car, which hit a sign post and the kerb, became airborne and then hit a tree.
Giving court evidence on Tuesday he said: “I remember on the way home pulling over on the other side of the road and Dominic got into the car. He had been in the car park and I think everyone had left without him, so he was running to catch up with us.”
Describing the crash near Jackson’s fencing, he said: “I remember coming round the bend and saw a car passing us with its head lights on.
“Then I remember Woody saying ‘Oh s***’ and as he said it I felt the car move.
“I think it was the back end. As we came off the bend I felt the car go, then it gripped a bit and I thought it was going to come back, but then it went [out of control] again.
“I don’t remember the collision. I remember hanging upside down in the car. I think I was the first one to realise what had happened. I was shouting ‘Get out of the car now’ and I didn’t even look behind me. My window was broken and I managed to climb out.
“I think a doctor was there. I was shocked, it was a feeling that you never feel - it was horrible.”
Mr Shacklady described how he told the other teenagers at the scene that they should tell police Wood had been driving at 30mph prior to the crash.
Asked why he did it, he said: “I didn’t have a clear head on me at all, I had just been in a car crash. I said 30mph because it is a reasonable speed. I have apologised for saying it, I didn’t even know what I was doing at the time.
“I didn’t even know significance of the accident - I didn’t find out until I got to the hospital. I said it because I didn’t wants Woody to get into trouble but with the significance of the accident you can’t do that.”
Mr Shacklady was studying in the upper sixth form at Christleton High School at the time of the crash.
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