Driver receives suspended sentence in bus death case

A Bus Atha Cliath driver who fatally knocked down a mother of three after his vision was impaired by strong sunlight has been given a six months suspended sentence.

Frank Turner, aged 51, a married man with six children, has also had his driving license suspended for four years by Judge Frank O’Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was fined €500 with nine months to pay.

Turner, of Kildare Road, Crumlin pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death on October 29, 2003 outside Cheeverstown Hospital. He had been working for Bus Atha Cliath since 1998 and lost his job after the incident but was later reinstated.

Mrs Maria Verdida, a married mother of three, was 52 years-old at the time of her death. She was a Filipino nurse who had been living in Ireland for two years. She worked in Tallaght Hospital but was doing relief work in Cheeverstown Hospital at the time of the incident.

Garda Brian Ryan from Terenure Garda Station told Mr Padraig Dwyer BL prosecuting, that Turner was driving a double decker bus, carrying no passengers, from Eden Quay to Tallaght.

He had turned onto a dual carriage way and was approaching a pedestrian crossing at around 25mph when his vision was impaired by strong sunlight. He had noticed that the lights were flashing amber but failed to react before fatally striking the woman.

Garda Ryan said he himself had been unable to see the scene of the accident clearly on approach.

The sun was low on that stretch of road at the time of the incident, and this was corroborated by a Met Office report. He said Turner had no previous convictions, was of good character and was "an honest, solid man".

Turner told Mr John Nolan BL, defending: "I just can’t get over it. It leaves my mind sometimes or I would not be able to live at all. I don’t think there are words I can say other than sorry to help her family."