TWO drivers have gone on trial accused of causing the death of 21-year-old Ella Smith by dangerous driving.

Emma Price and Jago Clarke, both now aged 21, face charges relating to a fatal crash on the B4341 at Portfield Gate, near Haverfordwest, on the evening of June 13, 2021.

Ella Smith, who was a passenger in the Ford Ka driven by Clarke, died in the crash, while Daisy Buck, the passenger in a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction to the defendants, was seriously injured.

The two defendants were both charged with causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and causing death by driving a vehicle whilst unlicensed and uninsured.

On the day of trial, Clarke, of Sunningdale Drive in Hubberston, Milford Haven, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of causing death by careless driving and also to causing death by driving a vehicle whilst unlicensed and uninsured.

The jury will have to determine whether they accept Clarke’s plea to the alternative charge after they hear the evidence.

Price, of Holloway in Haverfordwest, denied all charges.

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Opening the case, prosecutor Jim Davis said that Price, Clarke, and a group of friends had spent the day at the beach in Broad Haven. They were driving back in the evening in three cars, with Price driving a Citroen C1, Clarke driving a Ford Ka, and their friend driving a Fiat Punto.

Ms Buck was the passenger in a Seat Ibiza which had left Camrose at around 8pm and was heading to Broad Haven via Haverfordwest and the B4341. Mr Davis said that telematics data from the black box inside the Seat showed the driver was “driving within the appropriate speed limit”.

“Neither defendant should have been driving either vehicle at the time, as both only held provisional licences and were not being supervised,” the prosecutor said.

Mr Davis said Clarke had asked for Miss Smith to come to the beach and give them a lift back.

“It seems that Jago Clarke was bragging to everyone that he was going to drive Ella’s car and overtake everyone,” he said.

The prosecutor said that Clarke initially sat in the passenger seat of the Ford Ka, but switched with Miss Smith shortly afterwards.

Mr Davis said that the driver of the Seat Ibiza saw the Ford and Citroen approaching, with the Citroen on the wrong side of the road.

He said the Citroen moved back to the correct side of the road, but the Ford – now behind the Citroen – “mounted the nearside grass verge before shooting across the road” and crashed in to the Seat.

“There was nothing [the Seat driver] could do,” Mr Davis said.

Mr Davis said the telematics from the Ford Ka – which also had a black box fitted – were not available for 2.1 miles prior to the crash, however the data was available from before that and a crash report was sent on impact.

The prosecution allege that – using the time and distance between the last point of the telematics and the crash – Clarke “averaged the speed of 70mph”.

“A speed which is far too fast for that section of the road, particularly when driven by an inexperienced provisional driver,” Mr Davis added.

Addressing Price's charges, Mr Davis said: “Her car wasn’t actually involved in the collision itself, but the prosecution say she and the second defendant, Jago Clarke, were driving competitively at speed when Jago Clarke lost control.”

The trial continues.