Careless driving plea accepted as bus and car collide on south Mayo roundabout

There was a late plea entered by a defendant who appeared before Judge Sandra Murphy at Castlebar District Court on a charge of dangerous driving.

The defence had initially indicated the case could take up to two hours but following the decision of the defendant - Damien Syron, Tonacrick, Lahardane - to plea to a lesser charge of careless driving, Judge Murphy accepted the plea.

Garda Barry Walsh told the court he was called to an accident on September 3, 2024, at 10.30 a.m., which had taken place on the roundabout where the Ballyhaunis Road and St. Colman’s Road join in Claremorris.

Garda Walsh said when he arrived he found a bus pulled in on the side of the roundabout while further down the road a van driven by the defendant was found damaged.

An eyewitness to the accident, Kieran Doherty, said he noticed the van come off the N17 and onto the roundabout at speed before colliding with the bus.

The court heard Mr. Doherty had to brake when he came onto the roundabout to avoid colliding with the car which he saw colliding with the bus.

Garda Walsh spoke to the driver of the bus, Kieran Biggins, who told him that he was driving on the roundabout when a car appeared from nowhere and collided with him.

Both drivers provided breath tests which proved negative.

Mr. Peter Loftus, solicitor for the defendant, said his client was aged 59 and had been driving for over 30 years without ever being in an accident.

“The only issue I would have is the suggestion that my client had come onto the roundabout at speed,” said Mr. Loftus.

He added: “A test had been done on my client’s van after the crash and the indications were that he was doing below 30 kph at the time of the accident or possibly even as low as 20 kph.”

Judge Murphy said she was taking into consideration the clean record of the defendant and the fact that he was involved in the construction industry and needed his driving licence for his work.

She imposed a fine of €350 and declined to impose a disqualification from driving.

* Funded under the Courts Reporting Scheme.