Road accident teen ‘was struck accidentally’
THE DPP will decide whether a driver involved in a collision that left a teenage girl fighting for her life is to face any criminal charges.
It is understood the motorists, who is in his 40s, has been left ‘devastated’ by the accident.
Tara Houlihan, 17, was struck by a car shortly before 4am last Saturday in Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow.
The driver, from nearby Greystones, later presented himself voluntarily to gardaí after hearing media appeals about the accident.
Senior sources say they find ‘credible’ his account that he was unaware he hit a person as he made his way home from work last weekend. He was quizzed for 24 hours by gardaí after presenting himself early last week.
Sources say the case is ‘tragic’ and that ‘gardaí largely accept his account’ that he accidentally hit the teen.
It is understood that CCTV depicts that the driver was not driving dangerously. He was returning home from his place of work.
A source added: ‘A file will be sent to the DPP. It will outline all the facts of this tragic case, which is complex.
‘It will then be left up to the DPP whether the driver should be criminally charged.
‘There will be no recommendation one way or the other from gardaí.’
Teenager Tara has been left in a critical condition and it remains ‘touch and go’ whether she will pull through, sources say. Even if she recovers, she could be left with permanent facial injuries.
Gardaí accept the driver’s account that he struck Tara, from Kilcoole, ‘inadvertently’ and ‘drove away not knowing he had hit a person’, sources said. She was only around 500 metres from home at the time. The man arrived with a solicitor at Bray Garda Station on Monday morning. The Garda press office has since confirmed his release.
Gardaí have obtained ‘goodquality’ CCTV of the accident.
A senior source told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘This was a tragic accident.’
A source said: ‘It is a sensitive case and more will become clear later.
‘At the moment, everyone’s thoughts are with the young girl and her family.’
The teenager is believed to have been on her way home from a party when she was struck by the vehicle in the accident.