Man caught doing 182kph was racing to help “girl in distress”

December 7, 2022

A man caught driving at 182km/h was rushing to Letterkenny to help a young girl ‘in distress.’

William Adams, who was caught speeding on the dual carriageway, was told that he is ‘very lucky’ not to have been handed a driving ban.

Gardai intercepted a BMW at 12.35am at Rossbracken on June 18, 2022.

The car, which was being driven by William Adams, was stopped. Adams was immediately apologetic when he spoke to Gardai, Sergeant Jim Collins told Letterkenny District Court.

Sergeant Collins said there were no other road users on the road at the time.

Adams, a 19-year-old of Archill Road, Drumleagh, Newtownstwart, County Tyrone, was accompanied by his parents to Letterkenny District Court this week to face a charge of dangerous driving.

Judge Éiteáin Cunningham said she would accept a guilty plea to a lesser charge of careless driving.

Mr Ciaran Haran, solicitor for Adams, said his client was out in Strabane when he received a call from a young girl ‘who was in distress’.

“He was not drinking and he offered to collect her and he put himself under pressure to be in other places,” Mr Haran said. “He was somewhat confused by the speed being miles rather than kilometres.”

Mr Haran said Adams was ‘extremely apologetic’ and had lost ‘considerable weight’ due to the stress of the case.

Mr Haran said: “I am advised by his parents that, regardless of the punishment read out in court, they have made him suffer considerably.”

Adams, his solicitor told the court, works for an agricultural supplies company in a warehouse and drives a forklift.

Judge Cunningham convicted Adams, who has no previous convictions, of careless driving and fined him €250.

“It really is a huge speed, irrespective of the reasons,” Judge Cunningham said. “He is just lucky that there were no other road users at the time.

“In light of the special circumstances and the fact that there are no previous, I won’t disqualify – but he may count himself very lucky in that regard.”

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