A man charged in connection with a fatal hit-and-run collision in Co Limerick was high on cannabis and “fast gas” at the time, a court has heard.
Keelan O’Connell (19), of Scanlon Park, Castleconnell, appeared before Limerick District Court on Friday charged with dangerous driving causing the death of Áine O’Reilly (33) on February 13th last on the N24 road at Grange West, Boher.
He was also charged with driving without a driving licence and insurance at the same location, on the same date.
Garda Tony Burke told the court he arrested O’Connell at his home on Thursday. He said the accused made no reply after being charged later that evening. The garda objected to bail.
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He alleged that O’Connell was driving a “high-powered” 2007 Volkswagen Golf at “excess speed” when he attempted to undertake a Peugeot car. He said O’Connell’s car struck the Peugeot and forced it into a collision with O’Reilly’s Nissan Micra.
O’Reilly, a nurse, who was on her way to work at the out-of-hours Shannondoc GP service, suffered “catastrophic injuries” and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Burke also alleged that O’Connell “fled the scene on foot” along with two other occupants of his car, and “failed to provide assistance” to the other motorists involved. He said O’Connell presented himself to gardaí on the day after the crash and admitted being the driver of the car that caused the fatal collision.
He said there was “strong evidence” against O’Connell from independent witnesses, CCTV and dashcam footage.
Burke alleged O’Connell had admitted being “addicted to smoking cannabis” and “under the influence of cannabis and fast gas” at the time of the crash.
He said he believed O’Connell would, if granted bail, continue to commit “serious offences” due to his “addiction to drugs” and continue to drive and pose a serious risk to the public.
Burke agreed with Sarah Ryan, solicitor for the accused, that her client volunteered himself to gardaí after the collision and had co-operated with the investigation.
Judge Patricia Harney refused bail. She said O’Connell was entitled to the “presumption of innocence”, but was facing serious charges, and Burke’s objections were “well founded”. She remanded the accused in custody to appear again on March 24th by video-link.
