Motorist who rear-ended car spared driving ban
Pic: Michael O'Rourke.
A MOTORIST who claimed that she skidded on oil when she rear-ended another car was convicted of careless driving when she appeared before Carlow District Court last week.
Louise Fennelly (61) with an address at Longmile, Burton Hall, Carlow was before Judge Geraldine Carthy contesting a careless driving charge after she was involved in a car crash on the Eastern Relief Road, Carlow on 3 February 2024.
Inspector David Shore told the court that gardaí were called out to the scene of the accident, where they found an Opel Insignia had been rear-ended by a Nissan Qashquai, which was driven by Ms Fennelly.
He continued that the Opel Insignia had two passengers in it and that they were brought to hospital, as was Ms Fennelly.
Judge Carthy heard that the injured party had stopped at a stop sign on the Eastern Relief Road and that the car was pushed out onto a main road with the force of Ms Fennelly’s car.
Insp Shore said that both drivers were tested for drugs and alcohol, both coming back as negative.
The driver of the Opel gave evidence in court, saying that he had stopped at a stop sign when his car was hit from behind and was shunted onto the main road. He said that his wife and step-daughter, who were passengers in the car, were “very shook” and were brought to hospital. He added that it had been raining that day and that the road was wet at the time.
Photos taken by both the gardaí and by Ms Fennelly were handed to the judge.
Ms Fennelly gave direct evidence in which she said that she was very familiar with the road and that she had seen the car at the stop sign, so she had slowed down in plenty of time. She continued that when she put her foot on the brake, the car didn’t stop and that it skidded until it hit the other car. She said that there was oil on the road but when it was put to the investigating garda, he said that he did not see any oil there but that the road was wet at the time.
Insp Shore put it to her that she must have been travelling at speed if her car had skidded that length, to which she replied that she had never received a speeding ticket in her life. She said she was going so slow that she was in first gear.
Solicitor Joe Farrell submitted to Judge Carthy that his client was on a careless driving charge but that she had taken various actions to avoid the collision and that the accident happened because there was oil on the road.
Judge Carthy said that she found that the photos taken by the garda and by Ms Fennelly “didn’t tally” and that she must have been travelling at some sort of speed to skid that length into the other car.
Mr Farrell put it to Judge Carthy that his client had never received a speeding ticket in her life and that she needed her car for family reasons.
Judge Carthy then convicted and fined Ms Fennelly €500, but spared her a disqualification.
