Four years for man who crashed into garda
A garda dealing with a late night drunken driver was almost killed when another drunk driver crashed into him at high speed almost killing him, and today the motorist was jailed for four years.
The description of a garda being blown 60 feet across a road at night by a high speed car was enough to send shivers through the spine, the sentencing judge said today, as he jailed the driver for four years.
Judge Sean O’Donnabhain described the case at Cork Circuit Criminal Court as the ultimate in dangerous driving.
Garda Brian Shanahan who was lucky to be alive after the collision only went back to work last week, almost 14 months after it happened.
Stephen O'Callaghan (aged 21) of Bridevalley Park, Fairhill, Cork, pleaded guilty to five counts on the indictment the principle one being that at North Ring Road in Cork on April 21, 2002 he was involved in dangerous driving causing serious injuries to Garda Shanahan.
Judge O’Donnabhain also banned O’Callaghan from driving for a period of 30 years.
"The evidence from the prosecution almost sends shivers down the spine, an innocent man in a fluorescent yellow jacket knowing the car is hurtling towards him out of control, it is the ultimate in dangerous driving," the judge said.
The injured guard, Garda Shanahan, said it had taken him a long time to build up his confidence again.
He was a keen hurler and footballer and he has not been able to return to playing yet as one of his injuries is to his knee.
Sergeant Gary McPolin who arrived on the scene said that Garda Shanahan was blown 60 feet by the impact and was extremely fortunate to have landed on a grass verge.
One foot behind him there was a tree and two feet to the side was a concrete path.
The car had been purchased in Glanmire from a Romanian.
Colloquially known as a company car, it was an old car bought extremely cheaply by O’Callaghan and driven without insurance.
He was at a party that night, had a lot to drink, drove to a garage and filled up with petrol without paying for it. Moments later he crashed into Garda Shanahan.
Deeply ashamed of his actions, O’Callaghan apologised today and said he didn’t remember what happened.
The garda did not remember the impact. However, he described the car coming straight for him and he recalled trying to run out of its way.
Garda Shanahan was on the side of the road late that night in uniform and fluorescent jacket, directing traffic as a colleague dealt with a drunk driver.
