A motorist who hit an Irish leisure cyclist from behind drove away and then doubled back and passed him injured at the crash scene moments later.
Cyclist Hugh
McLaughlin was in significant pain but when he saw Kevin Kennedy coming back
and driving passed him he tried to stop him but was unable.
However, gardai at the scene went after Kennedy in his van and stopped him a short distance away. Though injured, McLaughlin recognised Kennedy and his car at the scene.
Some of the details
of the case emerged at Dungloe District Court where Kennedy faced a number of
charges.
Kennedy (51),
Meenderryherk, Dungloe, Co Donegal, was charged with dangerous driving as well
as failing to report an accident and also with leaving the scene.
He was banned from
driving for two years by Judge Paul Kelly who also sentenced him to 100 hours
of community service.
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The crash took
place in September, 2018, when Mr McLaughlin was cycling between Dochary and
Dungloe.
It was 8pm and the
court was told it was a bight evening, though the injured man was still wearing
hi-vis clothing.
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Mr McLaughlin, a
father of three, said he was hit from behind while riding at about 30-35km per
hour.
He was in extreme
pain and wondered if he would ever see his family again as he was thrown into
the air and landed face down.
Kennedy drove on in
his Citroen Berlingo before returning back to the scene and driving by the
injured cyclist.
"I actually
walked out in front of it with my hands out in front of me in an attempt to
stop it, but it just passed on by," he said.
"The guards
realised it was the van also and took off after it with the blue lights and
siren on, and stopped it a few miles out the road."
The court was told
though Kennedy had doubled back to where McLaughlin was injured on the road, he
did not stop.
He also did not call
the emergency services for the cyclist he had just hit, though another driver
in the area at the time did ring 999.
Mr McLaughlin told
the court he had only been out on the bike a few times since the incident as he
was now in constant fear of being hit from behind.
He continued to
suffer shoulder pain and was badly cut at the time. Though Kennedy had written
to him to apologise, Mr McLaughlin said they were meaningless words.
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