Narrowly missed head-on collision with oil lorry

A woman who was distracted by a phone and clipped an oncoming oil tanker lorry, narrowly missing a head on collision, was convicted of dangerous driving and disqualified for two years.

Mary Connolly, 17 Silver Roe, Boyle, Co Roscommon pleaded guilty at Carrick-on-Shannon District Court to the offence which occurred on May 29, 2019 at N4 Cloongownagh, Boyle.

At 3pm on that date Garda Kelly attended the scene of a road traffic accident.

A Mr Casey told him he was driving an oil lorry towards Boyle when an oncoming car collided with him on his side of the road.

He said there was a line of cars coming towards him when a silver Peugeot car three cars back in the line came out and went back in again. He said he felt a bang on the front driver's side and saw a car skidding along the side of his lorry. It was the same car he had noted earlier.

Mr Casey said the car came to a stop embedded in a ditch and he called the emergency services.

Martin O'Grady was driving behind the oil lorry for 4km when a Peugeot car crossed the road in front of the lorry and collided with it.

Mr O'Grady had to brake and take evasive action to avoid a collision and said debris caused some damage to his car.

He went to the driver of the car and found her conscious but she was bleeding from her hands.
Garda McTiernan from Boyle Garda Station was off duty at the time but he saw the Peugeot driving in a unsteady manner and narrowly missing a head on collision.

She drove onto the grass margin on her side for about 100 metres before coming back onto the road and crossing into the oncoming oil tanker.

He went to the driver after the accident and said she was bleeding from her head and a nurse was there attending to her.

The court heard the defendant has two previous convictions. At Carrick-on-Shannon District Court on February 24, 2017 she was convicted and fined €200 and disqualified for one year for driving without insurance. At Carrick-on-Shannon Circuit Court on November 8, 2016 she was also convicted and fined €200 and disqualified for one year for driving without insurance.

Niamh McGovern, solicitor, said it was a very serious accident and was very scary for her client to be involved in. She said Ms Connolly was distracted by her phone falling into the seat well and overcorrected on the road. She described it as “a singular incident of distraction.”

Ms McGovern said Ms Connolly was taken to hospital for treatment and has not driven since the accident. She is 44-years-old with five children and is on disability allowance.

Judge Kevin Kilrane convicted and fined the defendant €300 for the offence and disqualified her from driving for two years.