Louth motorist ‘shocked’ to get summons is cleared of dangerous driving

By Francis Carroll, The Drogheda Independent

A motorist has spoken of his shock at receiving a summons for dangerous driving after being involved in a two-vehicle collision on the way home from work.

Shane Mathews (45) was giving evidence at the district court about the incident which occurred close to home last year.

The defendant, of Marlmount Green, Marlbog Road, Haggardstown, Dundalk, was cleared of any wrongdoing when Judge Nicola Andrews dismissed the summons.

She said that the other car caused the accident.

Mr Mathews was accused of dangerous driving at Dublin Road, Haggardstown, on January 25, 2024, when intending to turn right onto Marlbog Road, at a staggered crossroads beside Sexton’s pub.

It was alleged that shortly after 7pm his Audi E-Tron, an automatic, pulled out of a filter lane in front of a NI-registered Volkswagen Passat heading north.

The court heard that Jonathan McKnight, driver of the Passat, had been convicted of uninsured driving arising from this collision.

A student garda who was a front seat passenger in the Passat testified that as they passed the junction an Audi jeep pulled out in front of them, blocking the lane. Her driver swerved to the right to try to avoid a collision.

Afterwards she was taken out of the car and brought to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.

Cross-examined by barrister Stephen Faulkner the witness said she was not aware that her companion was neither insured nor held a driver’s licence.

She was aware of the basics of Road Traffic legislation.

She said that Audi “pushed us back into the filter lane”.

Mr Faulkner put it to her it was impossible the collision happened that way.

She replied that both vehicles were moving at the time.

Gda Ken Bogan said that when he arrived at the scene the two cars were still connected. Both were substantially damaged, the Passat to the front and the Audi to its left side.

The two drivers passed roadside breath tests.

Gda Bogan said he took a cautioned voluntary memo of interview with the accused. Mr McKnight did not make a statement.

The defence submitted pictures, taken by Mr Mathews’ wife, of where the vehicles came to rest after the collision.

Shane Mathews gave evidence that he was driving home alone from Wuxi, 3 or 4kms away, after finishing work there at 7pm.

He was stationary in the filter lane to turn right. He looked ahead, initiated the turn and looked again. He saw a Passat oncoming.

He had turned the steering wheel slightly to the right. He hadn’t moved out of the filter lane. The wheels had moved slightly to the right.

The Passat was coming towards him. This car moved into the southbound lane, against oncoming traffic. It swerved into the left hand side of his car.

He continued that he co-operated with gardaí. He said it was a shock to get a summons for dangerous driving.

Cross-examined by Garda Inspector Martina Gallagher, Mr Mathews said he didn’t cross the filter lane.

"I moved the steering wheel to the right, which moved the wheels. The wheels moved.”

A report was prepared for the defence by engineer Robert Burke.

He said that the Audi was on the filter lane post collision. It was impacted on its left side for the most part. The Passat was on its incorrect side of the road.

There was debris on the left hand side of the filter lane.

There was ample space for the Passat to continue on.

Mr Burke told Inspector Gallagher that the impact occurred on the filter lane, on the left hand side of the Audi as it is on the filter lane.

The Audi was not blocking the northbound lane. If it was, it was by 200mm or 300mm, around a foot.

Judge Andrews said that she was satisfied the Passat caused the accident.