A man charged with causing the death of 21-year-old Ella Smith by dangerous driving, as well as the serious injury of another woman, told a jury today that he had no recollection of the day of the fatal crash.

Ella Smith was killed in the collision on the B4341 at Portfield Gate, near Haverfordwest, on June 13 2021, while Daisy Buck, a passenger in a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction to the defendants, was seriously injured.

Emma Price and Jago Clarke, both now aged 21, both face charges of causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and causing death by driving a vehicle whilst unlicensed and uninsured.

Clarke was the driver of the Ford Ka in which Ella was the passenger while the prosecution allege that Price was driving competitively and at speed with Clarke, which contributed to the collision.

Clarke told the court today, Monday December 18, that he had suffered a bleed on the brain in the crash as well as two collapsed lungs and a fractured rib.

He was in a coma for two days after the collision and in hospital for further three weeks.

He said that he had no recollection of the crash. The last thing he remembered was being at a friend’s house the evening before and that the first thing he remembered after that was waking up in hospital ‘scared and not knowing what was going on’.

“I wish I did [remember] so that I could help,” he said tearfully.

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He added that, as a learner driver, he was used to driving in his parents' car and was accustomed to driving at the national speed limit under their supervision.

Clarke accepted from the evidence given that the Ford Ka that he was driving was the last of the three vehicles returning from Broad Haven beach to Haverfordwest that day.

He accepted the evidence from Rowan Fair that Emma Price was to the right of him as they came round the bend.

He also accepted evidence from police forensic accident examiner, PC Fraser, that there were no signs that he had braked or slowed down after the top of the bend when his vehicle had gone onto the grass.

When it was suggested to him that he should not have been near the wheel of the car that day as he had been drinking, Clarke responded: “I shouldn’t have been near the wheel of any car,” he said. “I had a provisional licence. We all do things that we regret.”

Concluding her evidence today a tearful Emma Price said that she did not recall driving over the speed limit and that she had slowed down for the bends.

She accepted that calculations showing that Clarke was travelling at 70mph in the minutes prior to the accident would have put her at those speeds too, as she was in front of him but said that she did not remember doing so.

Price denied outright evidence given by witness Rowan Fair, the driver of the oncoming Seat, who said that Price’s Blue Citroen came towards him on the wrong side of the road and that he had to slow down to allow her to get back in lane.

“That never happened I don’t know if he said that to get himself out of trouble,” she said.

Price admitted that she had tried to overtake a friend travelling in front of her on a straight stretch of road ‘because there were no other cars around’. The friend pulled out and stopped her from overtaking.

She said that she had asked her dad to drive her car from the scene as she ‘was in no fit state to drive’ after witnessing the crash and its aftermath.

She also admitted that Clarke had persuaded him to let her drive his car earlier in the day on June 13, saying that she had not recalled this until it was put to her on Friday.

Price was asked about earlier evidence which told of a young woman running towards an older man saying ‘they are going to send me to prison’.

She said that she couldn’t remember ever saying such a thing.

When it was put to her that she had been driving dangerously on the way home from Broad Haven beach she tearfully denied the accusation.

“I’m not at fault in any way,” she said. “I’m not going to put anyone’s lives at risk. I didn’t have anything to do with the crash.”

Clarke, of Sunningdale Drive in Hubberston, Milford Haven, has 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.

Price, of Holloway in Haverfordwest, denies all charges.

The trial continues.