Truck driver jailed over tragic death of much-loved nurse on Kilkenny road

A six-year prison sentence was handed down to a professional truck driver who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of an ICU nurse who was returning home from work when the collision took place.

Paul Vochin, a Romanian national, also pleaded guilty to driving while over the legal limit of alcohol on the N25 at Ballyrahan, Glenmore on April 25, 2025 on the morning of the collision which killed mother-of-two, Veronica O’Grady instantly.

Inspector Paul Donohoe, the senior investigating officer gave evidence at Kilkenny Circuit Court. He described the N25 as ‘the national regional road from Waterford to Wexford’ adding that it was a single carriageway and an ‘extremely busy’ road. The collision took place on the outbound side of the road of the N25 at the corner of the L7469.

There were two vehicles involved in the collision, which resulted in the loss of the life of Veronica O’Grady. Victim impact statements from Ms O’Grady’s family, who were present for the sentencing, were also handed into the court.

Insp Donohoe outlined to the court how on the morning of April 25, Veronica O’Grady, an ICU nurse at University Hospital Waterford, was travelling in a Toyota Yaris, which was driving in the direction of New Ross and was returning home from night duty.

The accused was driving a large articulated truck and was travelling in the opposite direction, towards Waterford City. The 56-year-old was the driver and sole occupant of the truck, which had a 40-foot articulated trailer. Mr Vochim was a professional driver who came to Ireland to work, and would live in the cab of the truck, while doing this work.

Prosecuting counsel Dylan Redmond told the court that this practice is ‘somewhat common’ and that ‘vehicles are outfitted with a sleeping arrangement’.

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The court heard that on the morning in question a Renault truck, which also had a large load was driving in front of Mr Vochin. This vehicle had dashcam footage of the collision which was shown to the judge in court.

Veronica O’Grady was driving in the opposite direction, along with a large number of other vehicles.
The driver of the Renault truck signalled to turn right and came to a stop at an appropriate point. Mr Vochin was coming behind and did not stop, crossing over a double continuous white line to the other side of the road.

Insp Donohoe told the court that the accused did not realise that the vehicle in front of him was stopped in time to react to stop his vehicle and veered onto the wrong side of the road.

“It was an evasive action,” Insp Donohoe said.

The driver of the Renault truck was static and had his indicator on and Mr Vochin ‘did not realise until it was too late’.

“It was an evasive action not to hit the truck , rather than an overtake,” Mr Redmond BL told the court.

Insp Donohoe said that an overtake was not allowed on this section of the road as there was a double continuous white line. The inspector said at the time of the collision Veronica O’Grady was travelling at 87kph and was ‘totally blameless’ and ‘was driving appropriately’.

“Veronica O’Grady was driving in a safe manner and there was nothing in the world she could have done,” said the inspector.

“The collision occurred when the truck, driven by Paul Vochin turns to the right, to avoid the truck in front of him and hits Veronica O’Grady’s vehicle.”

A statement from an advanced paramedic, who attended the scene, said that as a result of the collision Veronica O’Grady who had been killed instantly. The collision was reported immediately to the ambulance service and gardaí who arrived very quickly at the scene.

There was a speed limit of 80km/h for trucks and 100km/h for all other vehicles at the location of the collision. Gardaí were able to reconstruct the movements of the accused from the tachograph and could see that he was driving five hours prior to the collision.

The night before the collision the accused stayed in his vehicle in Arklow and the tachograph readings showed that he begin moving again at 5.12am and had driven 127 kilometres in the five hour period prior to the collision and took a rest period at one point during that period.

The court heard that from the tachograph readings, gardaí were able to reconstruct the driving speed from 9.15am onwards and that on most occasions the speed was below 80km/h and on one of occasion it was over 80km/h. The truck was restricted to a speed of 90km/h.

The time of the collision was 10.23am and the speed of the truck, driven by the accused, reduced from 90km/h to zero in the minute prior to the collision, the court heard.

Photographs of the collision were before the court and showed ‘catastrophic damage to the Toyota car’ and ‘extensive damage to the front structure of the truck’. The pre-accident condition of both vehicles were that there were in good working condition and that they had no defects and all the correct documentation was in place.

On the morning of the collision, an ambulance was travelling behind Mr Vochin and was travelling to the hospital in Waterford. The ambulance driver told gardaí that he had observed the truck ‘go out to the right’ and saw the collision.

The driver of the Renault truck gave a full statement to gardaí and said that it was ‘raining at the time, that the roads were wet but he did not think that conditions were tool bad. The driver of the Renualt truck said that he had put on his indicator and was waiting to turn right, because of oncoming traffic and said the truck, driven by the accused go to his right and onto the wrong side of the road.

A camera was fitted to the rear view mirror of the Renault truck, which showed the vehicle stopped waiting to turn right when the truck, driven by the accused comes to the right and the impact.

Garda Sean Aspell arrived at the scene, a short time after the collision, and said that Mr Vochin was sitting in his truck. The garda made a demand to provide a breath sample, which showed a fail, and the defendant was arrested.

Two interviews were carried out later in the day by gardaí, starting at approximately 6.20pm, with gardaí waiting as they had concerns about the accused’s alcohol consumption. The court heard that gardaí were satisfied by that evening that the accused was fit to be interview.

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The accused told gardaí that he was an international lorry driver who worked in Belgium, France, Spain, England and Austria and said in his first interview that he had consumed three beers on the previous night. During his first interview with gardaí the accused saw that the car had appeared in front of him and he broke hard and the impact occurred. He also told gardaí that he was on his side of the road and that the car had come across the road.

During his second interview with gardaí there was ‘a marked change in attitude’ when he was shown CCTV footage and from that point onwards he accepted that he was on the wrong side of the road and that the collision was his fault. During his second interview he also said he had ‘three beers and a glass or two of vodka’ the previous night and that he had stopped drinking at 2am and started driving at 7am.

The tachograph showed that he started driving at 5.12am. The accused admitted to gardaí that his earlier version — that the Toyota was on the wrong side of the road and that he had had three beers the night before — was incorrect.

A breath test for alcohol was carried out at the garda station which showed a reading of 51 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millitres of breath. The legal limit for professional drivers is 9 micrograms per 100ml.

“The conclusions of the investigation it that it is obvious that Mr Vochin went to the incorrect side of the road and failed to stop his vehicle behind the Renault truck.

“Alcohol was a factor as shown by the breath test,” said Insp Donohoe, adding that the defendant was ‘braking extremely late’.

“From out examination he did not hit the brakes until he went onto the wrong side of the road. He came down to 83km/h, then 79km/h in the ten to eleven seconds prior to impact and then braked. He braked really hard when it was too late.”

The court heard that the defendant was never granted bail and has been in custody since the collision. Phones were taken as part of the investigation which showed that he was not on the phone at the time of the collision or before it.

Members of Veronica O’Grady’s family had their victim impact statements read out court which described their heartbreak and how their lives have been shattered.

The mother-of-two was remembered as someone who ‘always brought a smile to my face’, ‘was always there to help me’ and who will always live on in her family’s hearts and is ‘forever loved and missed every day’.

Defence counsel Diarmuid Collins, BL said that his client, who has ‘limited english’ had been working in Ireland for two weeks prior to the collision and living ‘a lonely existence’. On the night before the collision he met up with a colleague who had just started working in Ireland.

“He was parked up in Arklow and met up with him. He indicated that he doesn’t drink much, he has medical conditions. A job had been cancelled and he was not expecting to drive that morning,” said Mr Collins adding that his client had got a text early on the morning of the collision about a job and decided to drive.

Mr Collins BL also told the court that the N25 is ‘regarded as a dangerous road’ and handed in a newspaper article in relation to 600 people attending a public meeting over 12 fatalities on the road.

He also told the court that there was ‘a series of bends on that route’ and that his client had ‘come around a curve prior to the collision’.

A statement from the driver of the car in front of Veronica O’Grady was also read out to court which stated that ‘I knew the driver of the lorry realised the situation he was in, he was grabbing the steering wheel with both hands, I could see the fear in his face.”

The accused was also described as ‘visibly shaking’ and ‘in shock’ by ambulance personnel at the scene. The accused, who had been driving professionally for around 15 years, told gardaí that he ‘wished he could turn back time’ and that he prayed for the woman’s family.

When Mr Vochin went around the last bend before the collision he had sight vision of 130m, the court heard.

Mr Collins BL said that his client is a married man, aged 57 with one biological child and two stepchildren. He grew up in an orphanage and left school at 14 and worked in construction for a number of years before getting a licence and driving for four years in Romania and has been a professional driver driving in Europe and Africa for the past ten years.

On the night prior to the collision he met up with a friend and finished drinking at 2am. A job for the following day had been cancelled but he got a job early the next morning. Mr Collins said that his client would never have driven drunk intentionally and that he made ‘a very bad decision’.

“He was driving for four hours in rainy conditions prior to the accident. He was driving in poor weather conditions on a dangerous road which has claimed multiple lives.

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“He is devastated by the consequences of his actions and has written a letter of apology,” said Mr Collins.

The letter stated that ‘every moment I regret I cannot turn back time’ and ‘I sincerely ask for forgiveness’.

A letter was also read out by the accused’s 16-year-old son which described his father as ‘kind, grateful, caring and honest’ man.

“I feel his absence every day, I knew my father regrets deeply what happened,” he said offering his condolences to the victim’s family.

Judge Cormac Quinn said it was ‘a very tragic case’ and extended his sympathies to Veronica O’Grady’s family and friends.

“It was a very random event, it could have been the car before her or after her that collided with the truck.

“Her passing is a huge loss to all who knew her. She was an ICU nurse and is a huge loss to the hospital (where she worked).”

Judge Quinn said that the accused had pleaded guilty on October 19 and has been in custody since the collision.

“He applied the brakes very late, he didn’t apply the brakes until he was on the wrong side of the road. When dealing with a professional driver of an articulated truck, the standard is higher than that of an ordinary driver.

“The reasons for these requirements and regulations if someone is licensed to drive a truck and trailer they pose certain dangers to other road users, these drivers have to be skilled.

“The accused did not see or appreciate that the truck (in front of him) was turning right or slowing down. The accused did not slow down, brake or adequately position his lorry so that he could avoid the emergency. He did not brake until he was on the wrong side of the road.

“Once he was on the wrong side he had lost complete control of the vehicle. I have to take into account the bend in the road and that the weather was poor but this was obvious to the accused as he drove along the road. If he had a difficulty with the weather or visibility he should have slowed down.

“He was aware of the Renault truck, it is clear when he was initially interviewed and that he did not know how the accident happened.

“He may have driven 127 kilometres (prior to the collision) but he was able to react and control the lorry. Alcohol was clearly a factor.

“It is obvious that the accused did not brake in time and for a long period of time did not appreciate what the lorry (in front of him) was doing. A reasonably competent lorry driver should have been able to deal with what should have been an uneventing event.”

In mitigation the judge took into account the accused’s difficult upbringing, his good work record, that he has no previous convictions and also took into account his remorse and regret.

“The headline sentence is six years in prison for dangerous driving causing death and taking into account the mitigating factors and that he is a foreign national I am suspending the final 12 months on condition that he enter a bond to keep the peace for 12 months post release.”

He also sentenced him to six months in prison, to run concurrently for drink driving and backdated the sentences to April 25. He disqualified the accused for driving for five years.

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