Derry man caused two vehicle collision due to hayfever - court told
Andrew Doherty (30) of Carlisle Road in Derry was charged with dangerous driving and having no insurance on August 17 last year
A two vehicle collision on the Northland Road came about due to one of the drivers suffering from hay-fever Derry Magistrates Court head today.
Andrew Doherty (30) of Carlisle Road in Derry was charged with dangerous driving and having no insurance on August 17 last year.
The court heard that after a two vehicle collision on the Northland Road at 7am on August 17 last year between a transit van driven by Doherty and a large goods vehicle dashcam footage showed the van was driving on the wrong side of the road.
The driver and passenger in the large goods vehicle sustained minor injuries while Doherty's were much more severe.
Doherty was also not insured for the vehicle he was driving and had taken it without the permission of the owner, his brother.
Doherty claims to have vague memories of the crash, saying that he suffers from hayfever and had been sneezing a lot at the time.
Defence Barrister Stephen Mooney said that the injuries suffered by Doherty in the crash were 'catastrophic', adding that dash cam footage showed that he had only been on the wrong side of the road for a few seconds due to sneezing.
He said that Doherty had no previous convictions, had pleaded at the earliest opportunity and was remorseful over what had happened.
He was fined £600 and disqualified from driving for twelve months.