A young Cork woman has been spared jail for careless driving causing the death of a woman outside Killarney four years ago.
The sentencing hearing of 25-year-old Meadbh Heaney from Rochestown in Cork, took place before Judge Sinead Behan yesterday.
On 8th March 2020, Ms Heaney’s car veered on to the wrong side of the road on a bend between Killarney and Farranfore.
She crashed into an oncoming vehicle, causing the death of 41-year-old Sharon Healy, life-threatening injuries to two other passengers, and serious injuries to herself.
A jury previously found her guilty of careless driving causing the death of Sharon Healy, and serious bodily harm to Peg Healy and Emma Maguire.
Ms Heaney’s car veered onto the wrong side of the road shortly before 2pm on 8th March 2020 between Killarney and Farranfore, and it remained on the wrong side as it rounded a bend, for what was described as a significant time and distance.
Her car collided with that of the Healy family, who were travelling in the opposite direction, and the court heard Ted Healy was completely unsighted and unprepared to meet Ms Heaney’s vehicle in the wrong lane.
Both cars were travelling within the 100km/hr speed limit, but the court heard their combined speed triggered a significant collision.
41-year-old Sharon Healy, who had an intellectual disability, died at the scene, while her mother Peg Healy, and Ms Heaney’s passenger suffered life-threatening injuries and both have ongoing medical consequences.
A highly emotional victim impact statement from Sharon Healy’s parents described the devastating impact of losing their daughter in the blink of an eye, unable to say goodbye, and with her mother unable to grieve at her funeral due to her injuries.
Medical reports showed Ms Heaney had suffered PTSD and recurring depression since the incident, and has lost memory of the collision entirely.
Ms Heaney also submitted a heartfelt letter of apology, acknowledging she was at fault and describing her life now as a nightmare from which she wishes she would wake up.
Defence barrister Brian McInerney said regardless of what happens today, she is serving a life sentence.
Ms Heaney was also described in court as an exemplary student, who also represented Ireland in rowing and is currently working in cancer research in the US.
Judge Behan said the level of responsibility for driving is immense, and three families are now devastated, spending a lifetime thinking about a few seconds.
She said there is a message to drivers here that just a single moment of lapse can have devastating consequences.
She sentenced Ms Heaney to 2 years in prison, but reduced this to 18 months, and substituted this for 120 hours of community service, while Ms Heaney has also been disqualified from driving for six years.
Judge Behan also ordered her to pay a fine of €7,500, which will be given to An Garda Síochána to identify an appropriate method of promoting safe driving for young people with Kerry County Council or the Road Safety Authority.