Driver and two young children ‘lucky’ not to be harmed in crash
A MOTORIST who collided with a car when he broke a red light was “lucky” the driver and two young children in the other vehicle were not harmed, a court heard.
Godfrey Igunbor cut across the path of the car, which was “destroyed” in the crash, but “thankfully” there were no serious injuries.
Blanchardstown District Court
Judge David McHugh gave Igunbor a four-month suspended sentence, banned him from driving for two years and fined him €200.
Igunbor, aged 19 with an address at Woodaven, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving without insurance at the R136 in Lucan on June 27, 2020.
Sergeant Maria Callaghan told Blanchardstown District Court gardai were flagged down at 7.55pm by a member of the public who said there had been a traffic collision.
On arriving the gardai saw the accused’s white VW Golf and a grey Peugeot 508, both of which were extensively damaged.
The driver of the Peugeot had two children in the rear, aged two and eight years. Igunbor also had two passengers in his car.
The gardai got a strong smell of cannabis from the accused and an oral sample tested positive. However, a blood sample came back under the limit and he was not charged with drug driving, the court heard.
A witness supplied dashcam footage which clearly showed Igunbor breaking a red light and cutting across the path of the victim, who had a green light to go forward, Sgt Callaghan said.
Both cars were written off in the collision and the accused admitted having no insurance.
He had no prior convictions and was co-operative with gardai at the scene, the court heard.
The judge said he “wholeheartedly agreed” with the decision to charge the accused with dangerous driving.
Igunbor bought the car and had cancelled the insurance because he was going to sell it, his solicitor Matthew Kenny said.
He accepted he “destroyed” the other car and was lucky he did not cause significant harm to the driver or two children.
Igunbor had used cannabis before but not on the day of the incident and Mr Kenny said the roadside tests were “quite sensitive”.
“We can be thankful none of the other three parties sustained any serious injuries,” Judge McHugh said.
Mr Kenny asked the judge not to imprison the accused. Judge McHugh suspended the four month sentence for a year.
By subscribing to The Echo you are supporting your local newspaper Click Here: Echo Online.
