A DRIVER who “panicked” after scraping the side of a parked car drove on to do even more damage, totally writing off a second vehicle, a court was told.
Alan Wallace (39), of Coolacussane, Dundrum, County Tipperary, pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident after hitting two parked cars in succession on Main Street, Hospital, County Limerick, on May 9 last.
Limerick District Court sitting in Kilmallock heard that Mr Wallace was driving a flat bed truck on the day when he “scraped” along the side of one parked car and drove on, hitting another parked car which afterwards had to be scrapped.
Mr Wallace left the scene of both accidents and the truck he was driving was found abandoned in Kilteely later.
Judge Patricia Harney heard that Mr Wallace went to Bruff Garda station and made admissions about the two collisions shorty afterwards.
There was a woman sitting in the first parked car, but she did not suffer any injuries. Insurance companies are dealing with the claims for damages, the court was told.
After hearing that Mr Wallace had previous convictions for driving without insurance and been disqualified on two previous occasions, his solicitor told the court that the man “panicked” after hitting the first car.
The truck he was driving on the day was fully insured and documented and belongs to his employer, the court heard.
“The first scrape put the truck off balance and he hit the second car,” his solicitor explained.
“He is a father of four children and he is good to work. In fairness, his employer didn’t fire him after this incident so he (Mr Wallace) must be of value to the employer.”
The solicitor said that it “is a big ask but I would ask if there is any possibility that you would not put him off the road.”
Judge Harney said that she would hold with the request “because he owned up. But he’s very much on his last chance.”
She imposed a fine of €750 on Mr Wallace for careless driving and two further fines of €750 each for failing to remain at the scene of an accident after hitting both cars.
