Third party recorded accident on Laois road between car and beer lorry
Portlaoise Courthouse
A MOTORIST was convicted of careless driving after Portlaoise District Court heard that he had taken part in a pro-social driving programme and had €3,000 in court to contribute to a charity.
Alan Andrews (50), 26 Halcyon Place, Castletroy, Co Limerick had initially appeared in court and pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop at the scene of an accident, failing to remain at the scene of an accident and to failing to report an accident at Oughaval, Stradbally on 16 April last year.
That hearing was told that Garda Roy Cooper received a report the following day from a third party about an incident that took place between a car and a beer delivery lorry at Oughaval (The Windy Gap), Stradbally.
He said a car was coming from the Carlow direction and met a delivery lorry coming from the Stradbally direction. He said the car veered across the road into the path of the lorry, forcing it into a ditch, before the car righted itself damaging its wing mirror and driving off.
Garda Cooper said the report of the accident was notified to him by a driver of a Tesla car who had been driving behind the offending car at the time of the incident and that the Tesla driver had captured the incident on his car’s camera.
The CCTV footage was shown in court.
Garda Cooper said: “Only for the lorry driver being so aware, this might have been a more serious incident.” At that hearing, the accused’s solicitor said that his client had returned to the scene of the accident, but the lorry had left by that time.
The lorry driver was commended by gardaí, who “possibly saved at least two people’s lives with his quick thinking on the day.” When the case returned to court last week, Judge Cody noted that Mr Andrews had stopped a short distance from the accident and had returned to the scene. He went on to strike out the three charges of failing to stop, to remain and to report an accident.
He was informed that since the first hearing of the case, Mr Andrews had taken part in a pro-social driving programme and had brought with him €3,000 by way of a contribution to a charity.
Finalising the case, Judge Cody convicted Mr Andrews of careless driving and fined him €350. He instructed that the €3,000 be donated to The Children’s Grief Centre in Limerick.
Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme.
