Drunk driver’s taxi flipped over after chase following hit and run
Edward Dee, aged 66, pleaded guilty at Limerick District Court yesterday to drink driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.
Insp Seamus Nolan gave evidence that a family of three were driving from Cappamore to Limerick at about 1.15am on Dec 27, 2011, when they saw a taxi approach.
The family car pulled in at a narrow bridge at Dromsally, Cappamore, Co Limerick, to allow the taxi to pass, but the taxi struck the other car causing damage to its mirror.
“The taxi failed to stop, even though the other car followed it and flashed its lights. Something of a chase occurred,” said Insp Nolan.
Moments after the taxi fled the scene it overturned on its roof, the court heard.
Insp Nolan said Dee was “unable to provide a sufficient breath analysis”.
A reading of 218mg of alcohol per 100mg of blood was recorded in Dee’s bloodstream, the court heard.
“There was no sign of a passenger in the taxi,” said Insp Nolan said.
Judge Eugene O’Kelly heard Dee had been disqualified from driving for three years on Nov 1, 2011. The judge noted that although the sentence was imposed prior to the hit and run in Dec 2011, a stay had been placed on the court order allowing Dee to drive until Mar 2012 when the three-year sentence would start.
Yesterday, the court was told that Dee, of Cappanouk, Cappamore, Co Limerick, had five previous convictions.
Solicitor Chris Lynch said Dee had “a number of serious difficulties”, lived in a remote area, and was the primary carer for his 76-year-old wife.
“He, himself, is not in the best of health. He has heart problems. He is not in a good place.”
Judge O’Kelly said: “Had he contested the case he would have gone to jail and paid a substantial amount of money.”
Dee was disqualified from driving for two years for the hit-and-run offence and further disqualified from driving for six years and fined €250 on the drink-driving offence.
