A hackney driver, who when on his way to collect dialysis patients from Mayo General Hospital, veered across the road and collided into a car, was before Castlebar District Court on Wednesday for a dangerous driving charge.
John Keane told the court that as he was driving a Nissan car on the N5 outside Castlebar in the Dublin direction, on July 21 2009 at around 4pm, a vehicle collided into his SUV as he came around a bend. The car was spun around 180 degrees and landed on its side. The occupants were cut out and brought to Mayo General Hospital.
The driver of the vehicle which collided into Mr Keane was Thomas Lavin, Glann, Charlestown.
Michael McManus, who was driving behind Lavin, said that the defendant was driving slowly and carefully and all of a sudden the car veered across the other side of the road into the path of the other car.
Solicitor for Keane, Paul Cunney, said that his client accepts the fact that the vehicle veered onto the other side of the road.
Lavin said that as he drove back to collect patients from Mayo General Hospital the incident occurred, but he has no recollection of the accident. Lavin was hospitalised for six and half months after the accident and suffered fractured legs, chest, ribs, and brain injuries.
The court heard that the 62-year-old suffers from diabetes, which could have been a contributing factor to the accident, and Judge Mary Devins adjourned the case to May 5 for mention to fix a date for hearing in which the defendant’s GP would be available to attend.
