A Longford man has been ordered to pay a €500 fine and €5,000 in compensation for careless driving causing serious bodily harm to an 81-year-old man.
The judge said it's lucky the pensioner wasn't killed.
Longford Circuit Court today heard this crash happened between Edgeworthstown and Granard, in August 2024, shortly after 8 o'clock in the morning.
An 81-year-old man and his son were travelling along the N55, in their Jeep and trailer, when the pensioner needed a toilet break.
Garda Una Brady said they pulled in at the side of the road.
The 81-year-old was standing between the Jeep and the trailer taking a toilet break.
A few moments later, 63-year-old James Farrell, of Cranley Beg, Edgeworthstown, came down the road in his Jeep.
Garda Brady said he collided with the side of the horse box - and the impact caused the 81-year-old to be flung into a ditch.
He spent 72 days in hospital.
In his victim impact statement, he said he suffered 11 broken ribs, broken bones from head to toe, and several other injuries.
He said, before the incident, he went to dances and horse sales, but no longer did.
Mr Farrell was charged with careless driving causing serious bodily harm.
His barrister, Kieran Collins, said the sun was shining at the time, affecting his vision, and he tried to take evasive action when he saw the trailer but it was too late.
Judge Jonathan Dunphy described it as a most unfortunate incident and it was fortunate the pensioner wasn't killed.
He noted the accused had no previous convictions, and pleaded guilty as soon as possible.
He convicted and fined him €500, ordered him to pay €2,000 in compensation - noting Mr Farrell had brought this sum to court as a compensation offer.
He told him to pay a further €3,000 in compensation within six months.
He also instructed him to do a road-safety awareness course, but said he wasn't disqualifying him from driving.
