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Court hears that driver falling asleep at wheel was most likely reason for fatal crash

A court has heard the most likely reason for a driver mounting a footpath in Dublin and killing a...
Newstalk
Newstalk

13.43 10 May 2016


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Court hears that driver fallin...

Court hears that driver falling asleep at wheel was most likely reason for fatal crash

Newstalk
Newstalk

13.43 10 May 2016


Share this article


A court has heard the most likely reason for a driver mounting a footpath in Dublin and killing a young mother is that he fell asleep at the wheel.

Anthony Handley of Whitethorn Grove, Artane, Dublin knocked Olivia Dunne down while she was out for a walk with her baby in January 2014.

Olivia’s sister Caroline described January 17th 2014 as a bright, sunny and warm day. Their family was normal that morning – happy and close-knit.

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“By lunchtime, it was destroyed”, she said. Olivia was gone and Eabha was left fighting for her little life.

Anthony Handley, who is 64, had only four hours sleep the night before and had no recollection of the crash - he just remembers a flash and a bang.

One witness said his car just took off “like a rocket” without warning and never slowed down when it mounted the footpath and hit Olivia.

She died instantly and her daughter, who was just 15-weeks-old, would have died too if she had not been securely strapped into her pram and if she didn’t receive immediate medical assistance.

An investigation found the most likely cause of the crash was that Mr Handley fell asleep at the wheel.

Judge Patrick McCartan will hand down sentence later this afternoon.


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