Cork teen who caused death of passenger and seriously injured woman sentenced

The court heard the 17-year-old defendant drove the wrong way on a motorway at speeds in excess of 170 kph forcing several other motorists to take evasive action

Emergency services at the scene of the fatal collision on the M8 motorway near Mitchelstown, Co Cork. 

 A four-year sentence was imposed on a teenager who drove the wrong way down a motorway at exceptionally high speed in a stolen car, causing the death of his teenage passenger and life-changing injuries for a young woman about to embark on a new life in Australia.

Addressing the 17-year-old who cannot be identified as he is a juvenile, Judge Helen Boyle said: “Doing 160 and up to 170 kilometres per hour you drove for approximately 6kms the wrong way down the motorway forcing other motorists to take evasive action … until there was a head-on collision that caused the death (of 16-year-old Johnny Foley) and caused serious life-changing injuries to Ms (Roisín) Stakelum in the other car (and to teenagers in his own car).”