Cork motorist who fled the scene after knocking down a man, who died on the road, is jailed

Defendant knocked down and killed his own uncle on the same stretch of road 22 years ago, court heard

Family of the deceased man said he was left to die alone like an animal as accused drove away. Picture: Larry Cummins 

An East Cork motorist fled the scene after knocking down a man who died that night on the road — 22 years after the same driver knocked down and killed his own uncle on the same stretch of road.

60-year-old Martin Donnelly, of Castlemartyr, and originally from Ballintotis in East Cork, was jailed for two years on Thursday at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

The family of the deceased man, 61-year-old Ger Jones from Wexford — a beloved, husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend — said he was left to die alone like an animal as Martin Donnelly drove away.

Ten hours later, Donnelly turned up at his local Garda station and said he panicked at 9.30pm that Thursday night, on March 2, 2023 because in 2001 he had knocked down and killed his uncle at the same location.

Sergeant Brian Larkin of the Cork County Roads Policing Unit said the deceased was drinking socially that evening and put on a hi-vis vest to walk home to his B&B that evening. He dropped his phone and went back to see if he could locate it and was struck by the car driven by Martin Donnelly.

Mr Donnelly has since pleaded guilty to failing to remain at the scene of an incident to provide medical assistance or call the emergency services, and not having insurance to drive that car. 

He drove home by a circuitous route and did not present at Midleton Garda Station until 7.30am the following morning.

In the moments after this collision with the late Mr Jones, there was another collision while he lay on the road, when a second car swerved to avoid him and a third collision, when a car rolled over him. Both of these motorists remained at the scene to render assistance and alert the emergency services. Mr Jones was pronounced dead at the scene.

Jailing Mr Donnelly, Judge Sinead Behan said: “Society cannot allow accidents like this to happen where a person leaves the scene.” 

She said a motorist hasd not just a legal responsibility but a human responsibility to render assistance.

As well as jailing him for two years, the judge disqualified him from driving for a period of six years.

Donal O’Sullivan, solicitor said in relation to the 2001 fatal accident involving the defendant’s uncle, there was no prosecution brought against Martin Donnelly in an accident where his uncle walked on to the road where Mr Donnelly was driving a truck. 

He said the accused had always been an otherwise productive member of society.

Victim impact statement

The deceased man’s daughter, Leah Jones, said on behalf of the family on Thursday: “A road traffic accident' is the term that's used, but we don't believe for one second that hitting a 6ft human being and fleeing the scene, leaving them there to be run over again and again is in any way an accident. We are forever haunted by the night that we got the devastating news.

“If the defendant had the decency to stop that night, we might have been able to see our beautiful dad laid out in his coffin and had that little bit of closure. Maybe my dad's brothers could have been able to identify their baby brother rather than him being identifiable only by his dental records. 

“Our mam could have kissed him one last time, we could have held his hand, hugged him, put his most loved items in the coffin alongside him. The defendant played God in all aspects of my dad’s death.” 

Judge Behan noted from Sgt Larkin’s evidence that the late Ger Jones would have been in a deep coma if not dead after the first collision, and she suggested it may be of some solace to his family that he would not have been conscious for the second two collisions.