Charleville Driver Admits Pedal Error That Killed 72-Year-Old Woman
An 87-year-old woman pleaded guilty to careless driving in a crash on Main Street that left one woman dead and a man with a fractured pelvis.
By Nadia Khalil ·
Agnes Foley, 87, of Farran in Charleville, County Cork, pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday to careless driving that caused the death of Mary Fehilly, 72, and serious bodily harm to John Collins, 68. The incident occurred on November 2, 2024.
Foley had been driving for 60 years without a prior record of trouble. Garda Christopher Gleeson of Charleville Garda station told the court that Foley was driving her Mazda into town with her daughter for lunch. She was slowing down to enter a parking space on Main Street. She mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake. The car mounted the footpath and struck Fehilly and Collins before rolling back onto the road.
Fehilly, who lived at Holy Cross Place in Charleville, was airlifted to Cork University Hospital. She died later that night. State Pathologist Dr Yvonne McCarthy determined that Fehilly died from hemorrhage and shock caused by multiple traumatic injuries from the collision. Collins, who was walking nearby, suffered a fractured pelvis and serious injuries to his left leg.
Siobhán Fehilly read a victim impact statement on behalf of her father, siblings, and herself. She described her mother as the heart of the family. The family had been preparing for their parents 49th wedding anniversary, a milestone they never reached. Siobhán Fehilly recalled seeing her mother on the footpath and hearing her say, 'I'm going to die.'
Collins, in his own statement, noted that his life now centers on medical appointments. Despite 40 sessions of physiotherapy and four lymphatic draining treatments, doctors told him he would live with reduced mobility.
Defense counsel Marjorie Farrelly asked the judge for leniency. She noted that Foley, a widow and great-grandmother, had no signs of impairment before the crash and has stopped driving since. Foley wrote apology letters to both families, stating, 'I feel so guilty. Nothing will ever erase it from my mind.' Farrelly described the error as a momentary lapse with devastating consequences.
Judge Helen Boyle extended sympathy to the victims and their families. She adjourned sentencing until November 4, 2026.
