Victim’s family propose road death Remembrance Day

The family of a man who was killed by another young motorist’s dangerous driving appealed tonight for victims to be remembered and for drivers to take responsibility when they get behind the wheel.

In a tragic case that came before Cork Circuit Criminal Court the family of the late Colin Hedderman, 23, said they did not want to see Gearoid Dineen (aged 21) of Carrignaphooka, Macroom, Co Cork, jailed for dangerous driving causing the death of their son.

They rather wanted their son remembered and they appealed to drivers to slow down and to leave enough time for their journeys to prevent more deaths.

The Hedderman family - Colin’s parents, Pascal and Sheila, and brother and sister, Finbarr and Fiona – had a victim impact statement read in court by prosecution barrister, Siobhán Langford.

“We would like to ask those in the media and in government to remember the victims like Colin. Let us have in Ireland a Remembrance Day for road death victims in the month of November like other European countries.

“All too often the victims are forgotten about. All we hear about are statistics, the young male drivers who drive too fast, the boy racers, the drunk drivers. Please remember the victims.

“They did not ask to be victims. Colin did not deserve to be a victim.”

Judge Patrick J. Moran imposed a two-year suspended jail sentence on Dineen and banned him from driving for 15 years.

The family of the deceased asked for a lengthy driving ban to be imposed, but not a jail sentence, Sergeant Brendan O’Sullivan said.

The fatal accident happened when both young men, Dineen and the deceased, were starting out on their careers, and were on their way to work at 8.10 am on Monday, July 10 last.

It happened on a twisting section of road on the N22 Cork to Killarney road, governed by a continuous double white line.

Sergeant O’Sullivan said Dineen was not speeding but in his own words, he ‘nudged’ out over the line to see if there was anything coming.

It is believed that the impact killed Colin Hedderman instantly.

He was driving a Toyota Starlet, a first car after some years driving a moped. The defendant was driving a Renault Laguna.

Tim O’Leary senior counsel said the defendant was devastated by what had happened and he accepted full responsibility.