Driver banned after losing control of car at bend
Another driver narrowly avoided head-on collision after meeting a car driving at speed on the wrong side of the road
Castlebar District Court last week heard that a driver was forced to take evasive action to avoid a head-on collision after encountering a car driving at speed on the wrong side of the road.
Stephanie Keane (42) of Hundred Acres, Shrule, was disqualified from driving for two years at last week’s sitting of Castlebar District Court after she pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. The court heard that on September 22, 2014, at 5.45pm she drove at speed around a corner at Tubbernadarry, Shrule, on the main Shrule to Ballinrobe road. She failed to control the car and crossed over onto the opposite side of the road.
A driver in a car travelling in the opposite direction was forced to brake and pull left to try to avoid a collision. However, the car being driven by Ms Keane hit the driver’s side door of the other car.
Inspector Mandy Gaynor said that two independent witnesses had confirmed that if the car Ms Keane’s had met had not pulled in, there would have been a head-on impact collision.
Both Ms Keane and the other driver were brought to University College Hospital in Galway and treated for their injuries before being released later that night. The court heard that Ms Keane had a previous conviction for careless driving in 2013.
Ms Keane’s solicitor, Pat Moran told the court that her client ‘put her hands up’ and pleaded guilty to driving at excessive speed and took responsibility for her actions. However, he added that the bend was a dangerous bend and that since the accident, the local authority had made signifiant road improvements to that section of road.
Mr Moran said his client was in full-time employment for 12 years and lived ten miles from her work, and that the loss of her licence would cause difficulties, as there was no public transport. He asked Judge Mary Devins to postpone the start of the disqualification, which she agreed to do.
Ms Moran was disqualified from driving for two years, with the disqualification to take effect from January 2, 2016. Ms Keane was also fined €350.