Vintage tractor driver badly injured in crash
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge.
A man sustained serious injuries, including the loss of the top of his ear, when a van collided with the rear of his vintage tractor.
Barry Ryan, aged 39, of Gurteen, Shrule, pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court to careless driving causing serious bodily harm.
The injured party, Patrick Moran, aged 57, was travelling to work at McHale Farm Machinery when the accident occurred at 7.20am on January 4, 2024, on the Castlebar Road, Ballinrobe. Ryan, who runs a concrete flooring specialist company, was driving his work van in the direction of Castlebar and failed to see the tractor ahead of him.
The court heard it was a dark morning and road conditions were damp. The van struck the right rear tyre of the tractor with the impact ejecting Mr Moran from the vehicle. The court was told the 1980 vintage Massey Ferguson was not fitted with a seat belt. Given the age of the tractor, there was no legal requirement to do so.
Mr Moran required emergency surgery and suffered a fractured skull, a collapsed left lung, multiple facial injuries and the top part of his left ear had to be amputated. An injury to his left shoulder will never fully recover.
Mr Moran, who had previously worked as an operative with McHale’s and as a farmer, is unable to work since the incident. He suffered nightmares and flashbacks following the accident. Originally from Kilmaine, the injured party has moved to Ballinrobe since.
Ryan has no previous convictions. His van was believed to have been travelling at 60km in a 100km per hour zone when the accident occurred.
Barrister Diarmuid Connolly, representing Ryan, said his client did not see the tractor “until the very last minute”. The van hit the rear right tyre of the tractor.
The court heard Ryan’s view may have been impacted when a truck travelling in front of his van overtook the tractor and he could have failed to realise the tractor was there. Mr Connolly said Ryan is deeply remorseful for his actions and was left shocked by the event.
Judge Eoin Garavan said this was an “unfortunate misjudgment” by the defendant.
The judge said he was not "victim blaming" but pointed to the lack of safety devices on the vintage tractor.
“But Mr Ryan was solely to blame for the collision,” he added.
Judge Garavan said there were a lack of aggravating factors in the case and handed down an eight-month suspended jail term. No driving disqualification was imposed.
- Published as part of the Court Reporting Scheme.
