Woman pleaded guilty to endangerment after deliberatley driving towards a bus in Louth

A bus driver taking a group of tourists to the Giant’s Causeway was praised at Dundalk Circuit Court last week for saving the lives of all those on board, when a woman experiencing a mental health crisis deliberately drove a car towards it on the M1.

Emma McCullogh (33) with an address at Cois Cuain, Point Road, Dundalk pleaded guilty to endangerment arising out of the incident at or near Junction 15 northbound, Drumleck on December 12th 2022 and also admitted drink driving and driving without insurance.

The court had previously heard how the bus was travelling at 100kph on cruise control, when the driver saw a Ford Focus with no headlights on facing the wrong direction and took evasive action.

The defendant, who failed a roadside breath test, told gardai she had initially tried to jump off the bridge but could not climb over it and footage from the bus showed the car didn’t swerve or appear to brake.

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The Senior Defence counsel stressed that his client has been engaging with counselling and attends Narcotics Anonymous three times a week.

Judge Dara Hayes, who adjourned finalising the matter until last Wednesday, said the lives of 37 people had been at risk and they were saved by the skill and vigilance of the bus driver.

He said it was clear the defendant was in a difficult and dark place and it was better that she didn’t succeed.

While she had been assessed as being at moderate risk of reoffending, Judge Hayes noted the defendant had self-referred to the Turas counselling service and it was the view of a counsellor with the HSE addiction services that the defendant is drug and alcohol free.

He imposed a three year sentence for the endangerment charge, which he suspended in full, on her entering a bond to be of good behaviour for that period and placing herself under the supervision of the Probation Service for 18 months.

A 10 year disqualification from driving from the first of June was also imposed along with concurrent six month sentences for the two other offences.