Driver veered across the road and struck two cars

A 57-year-old man who has been convicted twice for drink driving offences at Sligo Court two weeks ago was further fined and banned when he appeared at the court last Thursday charged with dangerous driving.

Michael McPadden of Collery Drive, Cranmore was charged arising out of an incident at Molloway Hill on September 22nd last.

The defendant was banned for four years and fined €400 for two separate offences in December 2015 and July 2016 by Judge Kevin Kilrane recently.

At the District Court last Thursday, Inspector Donal Sweeney outlined how Gardaí received a call of an accident at 9.45pm on September 22rd last.

The defendant had been driving a SEAT van which had damage to its front.

He was sitting in the driver’s seat and had collided with two cars after veering to his incorrect side of the road.

Mr Gerard McGovern, solicitor (defending) said the defendant accepted he had gone to the wrong side of the road.

He was suffering from a medical condition at the time and was in poor health. His head had been slumped over at the wheel, said Mr McGovern.

Mr McGovern reminded the Judge that the defendant was before him recently and had been put off the road.

However, in this instance it wasn’t a case of alcohol being involved, said Mr McGovern.

He said the defendant was fully insured and the subsequent claims of the other driv- ers were not being contested in any way.

Mr McGovern said the defendant had recently retired from his job at Sligo University Hospital due to his ill health.

Inspector Sweeney confirmed that there was no alcohol involved on the occasion.

“I just think his driving was very bad on the occasion,” he said.

Judge Kilrane reduced the charge from dangerous driving to one of careless driving and imposed a €100 fine and a one year ban which would run concurrently with the four year ban imposed two weeks previously.

*Pictured right is Judge Kevin Kilrane