A MAN accused of causing a death crash that killed an elderly couple told jurors he never saw the van on the roundabout before he smashed into it.
From the witness box Tahid Abdul denied that he was driving 'aggressively' before the crash and said the road was clear.
The 42-year-old of Wingate Close, Oxford, has already admitted two counts of causing death by careless driving.
He denies two more serious counts of causing death by dangerous driving in relation to the crash.
His trial at Oxford Crown Court got under way earlier this week.
READ AGAIN: The opening of the case from court.
Prosecutors claim that due to his ‘dangerous’ driving Abdul caused the deaths of Kenneth, 77, and Gillian, 80, Jarvis, from Bicester.
The collision involved a Renault Kangoo van driven by Mr Jarvis and a BMW X5 driven by Abdul and occurred at about 8.15pm on Wednesday June 12 last year at the A41 and Vendee Drive junction, near Bicester.
As the trial continued today Abdul went to the witness box to give his version of events.
He said he was travelling towards Bicester with a passenger to visit a ‘buy-to-let’ property he had bought in the area.
He said he was not in a hurry and he had driven that road in the past.
Speaking of the moments before his BMW crossed onto the roundabout where the crash took place he told jurors: “I saw nothing coming: clear.
“I looked the other way and I went.”
Asked if he had seen the van at any point before the impact he replied ‘no.’
Abdul said the next thing he heard was ‘bang’ when he collided with the van driven by Mr Jarvis on the roundabout.
He told jurors that after the collision the airbags in his vehicle deployed and he pushed his door open before removing his passenger from the other side.
Asked about his state of mind Abdul said he was in ‘shock’ and said: “Not knowing what happened and everything; [I was] just haywire.”
During cross examination it was put to Abdul that he was ‘not looking’ at the roundabout, which he denied.
READ AGAIN: A collision investigator gives evidence during the trial.
He said: “That’s what you would say but I did have a look and there was nothing there.”
Abdul was also asked by Matthew Walsh, prosecuting, why he didn’t adapt his driving to the 'awful' weather conditions and why he didn’t ‘stop driving aggressively.’
Abdul replied: “I don’t believe I was driving aggressively.”
Jurors went on to hear closing speeches from both the prosecution and the defence before the case was summed up by presiding Judge Michael Gledhill QC.
Shortly before 3pm the jury retired to begin their deliberations and to consider their verdicts.
Abdul denies both counts and the trial continues.
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