Man who reversed over child (3) given suspended sentence for careless driving

By Sonya McLean

A man who left a child with life-changing injuries after he drove over her while he was reversing into a driveway has been given a 12-month suspended sentence.

Dariusz Skowronski (47) didn’t see the three-year-old when she was scooting pass the driveway, as she was not visible above the rear window of his car.

He initially struck her and felt an impact, and while he applied the brakes and stopped the car for a number of seconds, he then continued reversing.

It was only after he got out of his vehicle that he realised he had run over the child. He immediately called the emergency services and the child’s family were notified.

Sergeant David Sharkey told David Perry BL, prosecuting, that when emergency services arrived the young girl had no pulse and was not breathing. She was administered lifes-aving treatment at the scene.

He confirmed that the child was later treated for a traumatic brain injury and skull fractures. He said he recently met the child and said it is evident that she is different to children who are the same age as her.

Medical reports concluded that the victim sustained a severe acquired brain injury and all aspects of her daily life will be impacted into the future. Her injuries were described as “life-changing”.

The child’s parents were in court and victim impact statements prepared by both her mother and father were handed into court but not read out.

Skowronski, of Heathfield Close, Cappagh, Dublin 11, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to careless driving causing serious bodily harm on May 17th, 2022. He has no previous convictions.

Footage from a local house, which captured the incident, was shown to Judge Martin Nolan during the sentence hearing.

Judge Nolan said the child was out playing and moved into the path of Skowronski as he was reversing his vehicle.

He noted that while he stopped the vehicle momentarily when he first struck the girl, Skowronski then “renewed reversing” his car.

He said the victim had been left with “incredibly serious injuries” and said the consequences for her and her family was “horrific”.

“Probably the nightmare continues,” Judge Nolan said while acknowledging that the child will not reach her full potential. He said this will impact the victim’s entire family.

He said Skowronski was performing a “perfectly legitimate” manoeuvre but he should have stopped when he felt the first impact and found out what had caused the “bump”. He said it was the continuation of the driving that resulted in the charge of careless driving.

Judge Nolan accepted the evidence that Skowronski was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, had not been on his phone and that apart from two under inflated tyres, the vehicle was in good condition.

He said the court could not find any “aggravating factors” outside of the fact that he made a mistake in continuing to drive.

“I think it would be unfair to imprison him,” Judge Nolan continued, before he imposed a one-year sentence which he suspended in full.

He expressed his sympathies to the child’s parents and acknowledged how sad the case was. He said the court is “very aware” of the burden on the child and her family.

Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing SC, defending, said the case represented “every parent's worst nightmare” and described the footage as “harrowing”.

Sgt Sharkey agreed with Mr Dúnlaing that the child scooted across his path as his client was reversing into the driveway and the careless driving occured when he continued to drive and “tragically drives over her”.

Counsel said the impact on the child and her family is devastating and said a person can have nothing but sympathy for them.

He asked the court to accept that this client was not on his phone at the time nor were there other aggravating features such as alcohol or drugs in his system.

Mr Ó Dúnlaing suggested that his client’s remorse was evident and asked the court to also take into account his lack of previous convictions.