Heavily pregnant woman who drove to hospital with no insurance banned
A HEAVILY pregnant woman rushing to hospital feeling ill did not constitute a ‘special reason’ for driving without insurance according to Judge Gerard Haughton at the District Court.
Catriona O’Brien of 57 Slí na Sláine, Ross Road, Enniscorthy, was charged with driving without a licence, insurance, tax or an NCT at Brownswood on August 4, 2016.
Solicitor John Burke O’Leary said that his client was eight months pregnant at the time, and having suffered two miscarriages previoulsly, was extremely concerned for her unborn baby’s wellbeing.
He said that she had arranged a lift to hospital, but the person had backed out and she was forced to drive herself in a car that she had just purchased that day with the intention of getting on the road.
When Judge Haughton asked if O’Brien ever had a licence, he was told she did not.
‘Surely the thing to do in this case was to call an ambulance if it was an emergency?’ Judge Haughton asked. ‘It seemed an urgent situation,’ replied Mr Burke O’Leary.
‘I’m not satisfied that there’s a special reason,’ said the Judge.
‘If it was an emergency, an ambulance was the thing to do, not drive when she never even held a licence.’
On the charge of driving without insurance, O’Brien received a fine of €300 and a two year driving ban.