{"id":453054,"date":"2026-05-17T05:55:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T05:55:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/453054\/"},"modified":"2026-05-17T05:55:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T05:55:16","slug":"man-on-wrong-side-of-road-collided-with-familys-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/453054\/","title":{"rendered":"Man on wrong side of road collided with family\u2019s car"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Buncrana motorist crossed onto the wrong side of the road and collided with another vehicle carrying a family, a court has heard.<\/p>\n

John Gallagher (57), of Magherinture, was convicted of careless driving and fined \u20ac400 at Buncrana District Court.<\/p>\n

He had pleaded guilty arising out of a collision at Lisfannon on August 9, 2025.<\/p>\n

Garda Sergeant Conor Mulkerns outlined the facts of the case against Gallagher, an office worker.<\/p>\n

Sgt Mulkerns said the injured party, Mr Ryan Bradley, had been travelling with his family in a 2024-registered Skoda Kodiaq from the direction of Fahan towards Buncrana when the collision occurred.<\/p>\n

The court heard that Gallagher, who was driving a 2010 Hyundai i30, had been travelling in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n

As the vehicles approached one another, the defendant drifted across the centre white line and onto the incorrect side of the road, colliding with the side of Mr Bradley\u2019s vehicle.<\/p>\n

Sgt Mulkerns said Garda Conlon happened to be travelling in the area at the time and witnessed the aftermath of the incident in his rear-view mirror.<\/p>\n

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Emergency services attended the scene, including an ambulance and paramedics, but the court heard that no one required hospital treatment following the collision.<\/p>\n

There were minor injuries reported as a result of the crash, and the court was told Gallagher had no previous convictions.<\/p>\n

Defence solicitor, Rory O\u2019Brien, described the collision as a momentary lapse in concentration rather than deliberate dangerous behaviour.<\/p>\n

Mr O\u2019Brien said his client had maintained a previously unblemished driving record for more than 30 years and had never previously come to Garda attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a momentary degree of inattention,\u201d the solicitor said.<\/p>\n

He added that the incident occurred during what had been intended as a simple recreational drive and noted that all parties involved had thankfully escaped serious injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a simple recreational drive and everyone was perfectly fine afterwards,\u201d Mr O\u2019Brien told the court.<\/p>\n

The solicitor also said the collision had already had significant consequences for his client in terms of insurance costs and personal stress. Judge Emile Daly convicted Gallagher of careless driving and imposed a fine of \u20ac400, allowing him four months to pay.<\/p>\n

The judge said she was exercising her discretion in relation to a first offence and decided not to impose a driving disqualification.<\/p>\n

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