A case relating to the death of a 3-year-old Romanian girl who was struck by an out of control car was described by a Circuit Court judge yesterday as one of the saddest cases he has heard.
Mrs Mosun Amoo (30), Riverbank, Drogheda, a native of Nigeria, pleaded guilty to careless driving at Duke Street, Drogheda on November 10th, 2002.
In the accident her car went out of control, mounted the footpath and struck the victim, Diana Lorita Gheorghes, who was walking with her mother Silvie and her younger sister Irlande who was in a buggy. The court heard that drivers behind the defendant, one an off-duty garda, commented on her being extremely cautious but when she took a left-hand turn that leads onto Duke Street, which is narrow and hilly, she was momentarily blinded by the sun and lost control of the car.
Garda Nessa Durkan, Drogheda Garda station, said the younger daughter still has nightmares and does not like leaving her parents.
Mr Roddy O'Hanlon SC, defending, said Mrs Amoo had to manoeuvre past a parked vehicle. The garda agreed with him that the defendant had been distraught and had offered to produce her driving documents. She was fully insured.
Mrs Amoo had settled with her family in Drogheda. Her own children were in the back of her car at the time and her family wanted the family of the dead child to know of their deep remorse at the tragedy and that it has impacted on them too.
Passing sentence Judge Raymond Groarke said for a mother to witness such an accident, pick up her child, see the blood and recognise the child is badly injured and ultimately dead "has to be about the most horrific experience any parent can have and for what it is worth the court recognises their pain and suffering".
When the case was first called yesterday the accused was charged with dangerous driving causing death but the DPP then said the lesser charge of careless driving was acceptable.
Judge Groarke imposed a fine of €400, ordered that her driving licence be endorsed and disqualified her from holding a driving licence for three months.