Victim’s mother ‘glad’ woman cleared of dangerous driving causing death

THE mother of a crash victim said yesterday she was glad a woman had been cleared on a charge of dangerous driving causing his death.

Declan Hayes, aged 43, from Tulla, Co Clare, died after his motorbike was struck by a car exiting from a gateway on October 26, last year.

At Ennis Circuit Court on Monday, a jury took just 22 minutes to clear Lisa Clancy, aged 26, of 2, Inchiquin Park, Corofin, Co Clare, of the charge.

Mr Hayes’s mother Betty said yesterday: “I’m glad she was found not guilty. She didn’t go out to kill anyone that day. I don’t hold anything against her. It was just bad luck.”

Ms Hayes said she had received “a lovely letter” from the Clancy family in the aftermath of the crash. “I wrote back to them saying that we would meet some day because, with the case in the courts, we were told that we couldn’t be in contact.

“We weren’t looking for blood and we said that early on. It doesn’t achieve anything.”

Flanked by relatives, Ms Clancy wept after Judge Donagh McDonagh told the court “I wholeheartedly agree with the verdict”.

The collision between Ms Clancy’s Nissan Micra and Mr Hayes’s Honda motorbike occurred shortly after 7.20am after Ms Clancy pulled out of her boyfriend’s driveway onto the main Ennis to Tulla road.

The court was told by a witness that weather conditions on the dark, foggy misty morning “were awful” and visibility very poor.

The crash occurred less than 2km from Mr Hayes’s workplace.

“It was bad luck that Declan’s car wasn’t ready that morning. There was a small part needed and he used the bike in its place,” Ms Hayes said. “I have faith and I believe what happened Declan was meant to be.”