Man stopped in the middle of road before crash in Laois

A crash occurred after a man stopped in the middle of the road at a junction in Portlaoise. 

Oleg Masarov (72) of 3 Dublin Road, Bradshaw House, Portlaoise admitted careless driving at Rathleague, Portlaoise on October 9, 2023. 

Garda Rebecca Gavin attended a two car crash at Sheffield Cross, Portlaoise on the date in question. She said the defendant was one of the drivers involved in the crash at a t-junction. 

“Mr Masarov pulled out, then stopped, then pulled out again. He was coming from the sideroad and he pulled out onto the main road,” she explained. 

She said the other motorist was driving within the speed limit when the collision occurred. 

“He was stopped right in the middle of the road,” Garda Gavin explained. 

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said her client, who was a Lithuanian national living on the State pension, had no previous convictions. She said the collision occurred on a foggy day.  

Judge Andrew Cody convicted the man and fined him €300. He told the sitting of Portlaoise District Court that he wouldn’t impose a disqualification.