A MONEA woman who first blamed another driver for causing a crash then changed her story in court to say a bee or wasp had flown into her car has been convicted of dangerous driving.
Lisa Foster (25) of Castletown Road contested the charge at Enniskillen Magistrates Court last Wednesday, instead offering a plea to careless driving.
The three-car collision happened on Monday, September 25, 2017 on the Derrygonnelly Road. One man was injured, a van was written off, and the engine block of Foster’s car was flung around 30 ft from the car.
Eye witness accounts said Foster’s Ford Focus had come around the corner close to the Graan Nursing Home on the wrong side of the road. They said the car was going “hard” around the bend and had lost control.
In her police interview Foster said another car had cut across in front of her, causing the accident. As a result, a man was cautioned and brought in for interview by police. Foster was brought in for a second interview after the other driver had been interviewed, and again blamed the other driver.
In court last week, Foster said this had been a lie. Crying and sobbing, she said she lied because she had never been in trouble with the police before. She said she was sorry and regretted everything about what happened.
Foster said she had been driving along with the two-year-old son when either a bee or a wasp had come into the car. She said this caused her to lose control and she ended up on the wrong side of the road. She said she did not tell police about the flying insect as she did not think they would believe her.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said he did not believe what Foster had said in the witness box, as she had been given “plenty of opportunities to tell the truth” beforehand. He said she had lied at the scene and had lied months afterwards.
Convicting Foster of dangerous driving, he said he could give her “no credit whatsoever.” He disqualified her from driving for 14 months and fined her £200.
To read more.. Subscribe to current edition
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere