A driver has told Newcastle Local Court he was blinded by the sun when his car hit and killed a teenaged schoolgirl earlier this year north of Newcastle in New South Wales.
It was a crash that rocked the small community of Brandy Hill, with the teenager struck by the car on her way to school.
The girl, 17, died in February while walking to the school bus stop a few hundred metres from her home.
The man at the wheel was Ene Eneliko who today pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving occasioning death.
It was about 7:30am on February 5 when Mr Eneliko, 43, had been driving his own children to school and his car allegedly struck the girl as she was walking on Warrigal Close.
Barrister Peter Harper told Newcastle Local Court the case had caused emotional turmoil in the small community.
"This is the case where there was a girl walking on a roadway walking to school," Mr Harper said.
"There was impact and she was killed.
"He [Mr Eneliko] was blinded by the sun, there are a large number of neighbours giving evidence, including the deceased's mother.
"There is a lot of emotion surrounding this and I would ask your Honour to treat this case as a priority."
Judge Roy Ellis said he would see what he could do before he listed it for trial in March 2019.
The trial is expected to take at least seven days.
Mr Eneliko remains on bail.
