A county-based garda sergeant has said he is lucky to be alive after a motorist hit him as he smashed through a garda checkpoint.
Raymond Moore (51 ) told a High Court garda compensation hearing he sustained neck, shoulder, back and leg injuries in the incident in 2006 followed by a debilitating bout of post traumatic stress disorder.
The former senior GAA footballer was yesterday awarded almost €70,000 in compensation.
"I'm happy to take life a day at a time now and see the cup as half full rather than half empty," Mr Moore said.
Ms Justice Mary Irvine said his sporting interests of basketball and golf and the management and refereeing of junior matches had been seriously affected.
His counsel Tony O'Connor told the court Mr Moore had been mounting a traffic checkpoint at Mountbellew in October 2006 when a car driven by a foreign national smashed through the checkpoint spinning Sgt Moore around and throwing him into the air.
He was taken to Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, where he was treated and detained overnight with injuries to his right arm, shoulder and neck and both legs.
The car driver had later pleaded guilty to dangerous and drink driving and driving without insurance.
Mr O'Connor said Sgt Moore had to give up his training and refereeing interests with youngsters at the Killererin GAA club.
Sgt Moore, of Peak, Barnaderg, Tuam, Co Galway, said he had been off work for 10 weeks following the incident and had undergone a series of fortnightly physiotherapy sessions for two years.
He had also attended a specialist for sessions of cognitive therapy to deal with his mood swings.
He said he had suffered with degeneration of his lumbar spine prior to the incident but his condition had been exacerbated by the collision.
Judge Irvine said it had been a very serious, frightening and physically dangerous experience and Sgt Moore was lucky to have escaped without any breaks or fractures.
She awarded Sgt Moore €45,000 for pain and suffering to date and €17,000 in respect of future pain and suffering.
She also awarded him €5,847 for expenses, bringing compensation to a total of €67,847.
