Man guilty of fleeing scene after striking boy, 6, as he crossed road avoids jail

A six-year-old boy was fatally injured when struck by a car more than three years ago — yesterday the motorist pleaded guilty to failing to remain at the scene to get medical assistance.

Sergeant John Sharkey said the incident happened outside Ballymacoda, a village in east Cork, after the Luke O’Donovan had crossed the road to stand on a fence which would have enabled him to see if his friend had arrived home. His father, Steve O’Donovan, was repairing his car and thought his son was in the house playing with his Xbox.

As he crossed the road home, Luke was struck and fatally injured by a Ford Focus driven by Edmond Walsh, aged 51, of Ballyherode, Ballymacoda, on April 16, 2014. He died two days later.