Accused high on 'cannabis and fast gas' in crash that left Limerick nurse dead, court hears

Áine O’Reilly, who died in a collision in Limerick on February 13, 2026. Picture: RIP.ie

A man charged in connection with a hit and run collision that left a young Limerick nurse dead was high on cannabis and “fast gas”, a court has heard.

The accused, Keelan O’Connell, aged 19, of Scanlon Park, Castleconnell, Co Limerick, was charged before Limerick District Court with dangerous driving causing the death of Aine O’Reilly on February 13 this year.

Mr O’Connell was also charged with driving without a driver’s licence and with driving without insurance at the same location on the same date.

Garda Tony Burke of Henry Street garda station gave evidence that he arrested Mr O’Connell at his home at 7.42am on Thursday, March 19. The accused “made no reply” after charge and caution.

Members of Ms O’Reilly’s family and the accused's family sat on separate sides of the courtroom during the contested bail hearing.

Objecting to bail, Gda Burke alleged that on the night, Mr O’Connell was driving a black coloured 2007 registered “high-powered” VW Golf with “excess speed” and he attempted a “dangerous manoeuvre” to undertake a Peugeot car.

He alleged Mr O’Connell’s VW Golf collided with the Peugeot, forcing the Peugeot into a collision with a Nissan Micra car, which was being driven by Ms O’Reilly.

Gda Burke told the court Ms Reilly, who was on her way to her workplace at the out-of-hours GP service, Shannondoc, suffered “catastrophic injuries” in the collision and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gardaí harvested dashcam footage from the Peugeot car, which showed the fatal collision. It was alleged that Mr O’Connell “fled the scene on foot” along with two occupants from his VW Golf, after it was “significantly damaged”. Gda Burke also alleged Mr O’Connell “failed to provide assistance” to the other motorists at the scene.

Gda Burke gave uncontested evidence that, on the day after the fatal collision, Mr O’Connell presented himself to gardaí and admitted being the driver of the car that caused the fatal collision.

There is “strong evidence” against Mr O’Connell, Gda Burke said, which includes independent witnesses, CCTV, and dash cam footage.

The court heard Mr O’Connell admitted to gardaí that he is “addicted to smoking cannabis” and that “he was under the influence of cannabis and ‘fast gas’” at the time of the fatal collision.

Gda Burke said he believes that Mr O’Connell would, if granted bail, continue to commit “serious offences” due to his “addiction to drugs”, and that he would “continue to drive and pose a serious risk to the public” and that he would not answer the charges in court.

He agreed with Mr O’Connell’s solicitor, Sarah Ryan, that the accused volunteered himself to gardaí after the collision and that he had cooperated with the investigation.

In her decision to refuse bail, Judge Patricia Harney said she had to balance that Mr O’Connell, as an accused person, is entitled to the “presumption of innocence” against the fact he is facing serious charges, “the most serious being dangerous driving causing death in which a young woman lost her life”.

The judge said she was satisfied the bail objection by Gda Burke is “well founded” and “should be accepted”.

Mr O’Connell was remanded in custody to appear before Limerick District Court via video-link for further directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions on March 24.