YOUNG LEARNER DRIVER HAD JUST NINE LESSONS BEFORE CRASH THAT KILLED MOTHER AND DAUGHTER
A JURY has recommended that legislation allowing gardai to confiscate cars from unaccompanied learner drivers be enacted after hearing how a North Cork mother and daughter were killed after their car was struck by an unaccompanied learner driver just days before Christmas.
The jury at the inquest into the deaths of Kilworth woman Geraldine Clancy (58) and her daughter, Louise (22) made the recommendation after hearing how the two died after their car was struck by a car driven by their neighbour and learner driver Susan Gleeson on December 22, 2015.
Ms Gleeson was driving just eight months and had just nine driving lessons when she collided with Ms Clancy’s Ford Focus while driving on her own in her father’s Opel Vectra at of current law by that a fully they qualified should driver.beaccompanied Ballyderowen on the main Fermoy to Ballyduff road in North Cork at around The inquest before North Cork 11.05am on the day in question. Coroner, Dr Michael Kennedy heard
Ms Gleeson pleaded guilty at Cork Ms Gleeson deny that she was speeding Circuit Criminal Court last November but admit that she was driving too to dangerous driving causing the fast as, coming from Kilworth, she deaths of Geraldine and Louise Clancy approached a junction on the main and was given a three year suspended Fermoy-Ballyduff road, which is governed sentence and banned from driving for by a ‘yield’ sign. 15 years, and the jury returned verdicts She told the inquest that she was in in accordance with those facts. second or third gear as she pulled out
But they also recommended that from the junction to turn left to head Minster for Transport Shane Ross towards Ballyduff but she misjudged would amend the relevant road traffic the junction and carried over to her legislation to empower gardai to seize incorrect side of the road, and collided any vehicle being driven by an unaccompaniedwith Ms learner Clancy’s drivercar, whichin breach was travelling towards Fermoy.
“It all happened in a split second. My initial thought was that it was not a strong impact and I did not fear for my life or the people in the (other) car,” said Ms Gleeson as she told how the other car went through a gap in a stone wall and flipped upside down inside a field.
Ms Clancy’s car ended up wedged upside down between the road and the bank of a drain which was flooded to a depth of 82cms. Rescuers were unable to open the car doors as they had no space to open them to get the two women out and they ended up drowning.
Cross-examined by counsel for Ms Clancy’s husband, Noel, and other children, Declan and Fiona, Ms Gleeson agreed that it was possible the accident might have been avoided if she had been accompanied by a fully qualified driver and her advice to learner drivers was to never to drive alone. “I feel so sorry for the Clancy family. I know they are devastated. I wish I could turn back the clock and this never happened. I would do anything to replace their lives. I am devastated at what happened and I am attending counselling,” she said.
Witnesses, Thomas Kennedy and Edmund Dick, who were travelling behind Ms Clancy’s Focus in their own two cars, told how she was driving correctly at 80kph on her own side of the road when Ms Gleeson turned too wide onto the wrong side of the road and crashed into Ms Clancy’s car.
PSV Insp Garda Kevin Connolly examined both cars after the crash and found that both cars were in good roadworthy condition before the crash.
Forensic Crash Investigator Garda Mark O’Connor said Ms Gleeson would have had a 200m line of sight to see cars coming from her left and that to exit the 70 degree junction safely she should have been travelling at between 17kph and 23kph.
Garda Connolly said he had examined Ms Gleeson’s Vectra after the crash and the car was in third gear. He did not believe it would have been possible for her to exit on to the roadway at between 17kph and 23kph in third gear, which suggested she was driving at a higher speed.
Garda O’Connor said Ms Clancy’s Focus was 1.8 metres wide and the drain was 2.4 metres wide at the top but tapering in at the bottom which meant that there was only 28cms either side of the car, which prevented rescuers opening the doors.
Both Ms Clancy and her daughter were pronounced dead at the scene after rescuers used two teleporters to get the car out of the drain. Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said both died from acute cardio-respiratory failure due to drowning.