Offaly driver fined €500 after collision with cyclist

FINES totalling €500 were imposed on a driver who collided with a cyclist in Tullamore town last year.

Robert Moore (33), Castlekeeley Lawns, Daingean, was convicted of careless driving at Henry Street, Tullamore on May 6, 2021.

Mr Moore had been summonsed for dangerous driving, an offence which carries an automatic driving ban on conviction, but Judge Cephas Power accepted a plea to careless driving from defending solicitor Patrick Martin when he heard the facts at Tullamore District Court.

Sergeant James O'Sullivan said the accused was driving a lady to work on that date.

She was in the rear of his car and he came to the junction where Church Street meets Church Road and the road sweeps around to the left.

There is a stop line there at what Sergeant O'Sullivan said is “an unusual junction” but Mr Moore did not stop and failed to see a cyclist.

He then applied the brakes but collided with the cyclist who fell off the bike and was injured and had to attend hospital.

The bike was a write-off and the cyclist had a number of injuries but “nothing serious”.

Mr Moore was also prosecuted for a hit-and-run offence and Sergeant O'Sullivan said it arose because he understood the gardai were coming but none had arrived within an hour and he had to leave to go to work.

He then did not report the incident within 24 hours and gardai then established who he was and prosecuted him.

The court was told the man had 13 previous convictions, including convictions for public order offences, but none for breaking road traffic laws.

Mr Martin said his client was a father of three who had difficulties in his life when a relationship had broken down.

He saw his children regularly and because his ex-partner did not drive he needed a car to help with the children.

Mr Martin said the collision occurred because the cyclist was partly hidden by a sign at the junction but his client should have stopped at what is a busy road.

The solicitor said Mr Moore remained at the scene for a period of time to assist the cyclist. His insurance company were dealing with other matters arising from the collision.

Judge Power imposed a €300 fine for careless driving and €200 for the other offence, giving the man four months to pay.

The collision had occurred because Mr Moore had not concentrated as much as he should have at the time and there were no other aggravating factors, said the judge.