Tourist who caused a head-on collision in Donegal appears in court

A tourist who took a wrong turn and caused a head-on collision after driving on the wrong side of the road in Donegal has appeared in court.

Dutch national Vincent Maertens appeared at Letterkenny District Court where he was initially charged with dangerous driving.

It followed a serious head-on collision on Thursday afternoon, September 18, at Doonglebe, Newmills.

Maertans is charged that he did drive a vehicle, in a manner (including speed) which having regard to all the circumstances of the case (including the conditions of the vehicle, the nature, condition and use of such place and the amount of traffic which then actually was or might reasonably be expected then to be therein) was dangerous to the public or was likely to be dangerous to the public.

The charge is Contrary to Section 53 (1) of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, as substituted by section 4 of the Road Traffic (no 2) Act 2011. The head-on collision left the accused man's mother-in-law being seriously injured and is currently still receiving treatment in hospital.

The court was told that Mr Maertens, aged 48, and his family had been visiting Newmills Corn and Flax Mills tourist attraction outside Letterkenny. They left the facility and were heading in the direction of Fintown.

However, when Mr Maertens left the building and entered back onto a main road, he crossed over onto the wrong side of the road resulting in a head-on collision.

Solicitor for the accused, Mr Patsy Gallagher, said he was applying to have the charge reduced from Section 53 dangerous driving to Section 52 careless driving in the circumstances. Mr Gallagher said this was simply a case of his client getting confused when he entered onto a main road.

He added that the accused was fully insured, was not driving under the influence of any intoxicants and the vehicle was actually a hired car. He said his client was here on holidays and has no previous convictions. The court heard that two people are still in hospital as a result of the head-on collision.

"It was simply a case that he got confused and drove on the wrong side of the road. It has turned into a nightmare," said Mr Gallagher.

After taking time to consider the proposal, Judge Ciaran Liddy, said he was satisfied that this was a moment of confusion for a tourist.

He also noted that the insurance was in order, there was no intoxicant involved and also that the driver was not speeding at the time.

He reduced the charge to one of careless driving and fined the accused a total of €200.