Drove into path of elderly ladies' car

A DROMARA woman who drove into the path of a car containing two elderly ladies, appeared in court last week facing two counts of causing grievous bodily harm, by driving without due care and attention.

Rosie McNeill, (69), from Moybrick Road, who the court heard expressed "great remorse", was disqualified for a year and fined a total of 300.

The accident happened on 22 October last at approximately 11am at the junction of the Slienaboley Road and Rathfriland Road, Dromara.

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When police attended there were two vehicles both with frontal damage. Officers spoke to McNeill who was in a state of shock and then to the two elderly female occupants of the other car who appeared to be trapped.

Both women were taken to hospital. The court heard there were no independent witnesses to the accident but police sketches of the scene showed that McNeill had emerged onto the Rathfriland Road into the path of the Micra car carrying the two elderly women.

On 17 November 2009, McNeill voluntarily attended Banbridge Police Station for interview and presented a prepared statement which said she pulled up to the junction as normal, looked in both directions, but a builder's trailer was obscuring her view. She did provide pictures of the trailer during interview.

A PPS prosecutor told the court there was no proof of the trailer but admitted the pictures could not be disproven.

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The elderly ladies both suffered injuries in the collision including a broken wrist and broken ribs. The court heard this was not a high speed accident but the injuries were exaggerated due to the advanced years of the injured parties.

A solicitor for McNeill said his client had been returning from the vet’s a short distance away when the accident occurred. "She stopped and looked left and right but the trailer obscured her view. She accepted responsibility. It was unknown as to who owned the trailer but a local person removed it after the accident."

The solicitor stressed that after impact his client, who herself was suffering shock, made sure the injured ladies were speaking before she went to a nearby house to call an ambulance.

"She got blankets and returned to the car, staying with the women and talking to them until the ambulance arrived," the solicitor added.

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He said McNeill could not express the level of remorse she feels. "She has worked with Age Concern for some time doing a laundry service and it is no exaggeration to say she is a pillar of the local community.

"She lives in a relatively isolated area and relies of her car. Any disqualification will cause her severe difficulties and she will be looking at moving accommodation."

District Judge Mr Paul Copeland agreed that McNeill had allowed her judgement to be impaired, but said he was impressed by her impeccable record and her attitude at the scene of the accident, in addition to her standing in the community. She was given ten weeks to pay the fines.