Car became “airborne” in crash before fleeing against traffic on the M7 motorway in Laois

A driver who was being chased by gardaí became airborne after crashing into a roundabout and then drove against traffic on the motorway in the overtaking lane.

Patrick Casey (32) of Bay 6, Longpavement Road Halting Site, Limerick admitted to dangerous driving and having no licence or insurance on the M7 at Cappakeel on April 16, 2024. 

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby told a sitting of Portlaoise District Court that the defendant was driving an 08KY registered Nissan Qashqai on the M7 Motorway and it sped up in an effort to evade gardaí on the date in question. 

The driver “cut across a lorry went onto the slip road basically lost control”  and “crashed into a roundabout becoming airborne” with gardaí following. The driver then continued back down the slip road and “did a u-turn into lane two, the overtaking lane” and “at this stage it was facing the opposite direction,” said Sgt Kirby.  He said the car then “drove against the flow of traffic out of sight”. 

Sgt Kirby said the car had initially been travelling with traffic in the direction of Dublin from Limerick. However, after trying to evade gardaí and colliding with the roundabout, the car went back onto the motorway in the wrong direction and was travelling back towards Limerick in the wrong direction. “He was coming up against traffic on the motorway,” he said. 

“Twenty minutes later this car was located at the side of the Montague Hotel,” he said. 

Sgt Kirby said the defendant escaped on foot. He said a female passenger in the car identified the accused and said he had run because there were warrants for his arrest. He said the man had 145 previous convictions including 16 for dangerous driving, 18 for no insurance and two for endangerment. 

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick acknowledged her clients “appalling” driving record but asked the court to take account of his early plea. She said he was serving a sentence and had a release date of November 2025. 

Ms Fitzpatrick said the man had been driving without tax or insurance and had “panicked” when he saw gardaí.  “I appreciate that he should not be behind the wheel of a car again,” she said.  

She said her client was from Limerick and while he has a number of previous convictions, she noted there was no real history of drink or drug abuse. 

“He is asking the court to do the best they can for him,” she said. 

Judge Susan Fay said “this is a truly shocking offence. It is nothing short of a miracle that you are not looking at fatalities here.” 

She noted “there are so many aggravating factors in the facts” and said it would have “been very frightening” for the motorists he was driving towards who were coming from Limerick. 

Ms Fitzpatrick said “I hear everything the court is saying” and “thankfully there was nobody injured.” 

Judge  Fay told the court that the defendant’s actions warranted a custodial sentence and she said “I am not going to have this concurrent.”   

Ms Fitzpatrick asked Judge Fay to take into account the three weeks the defendant had already spent in custody on the charges. 

Judge Fay said she had intended to impose a five month prison sentence but would reduce it to four due to the time already served.

She then imposed a four month sentence for dangerous driving which is due to commence on the expiry of the sentence already being served by the defendant, who she said was very lucky.  

“This could have ended with multiple tragedies. It is just pure luck that you did not cause a pile up on that motorway,” she told him. 

She said “utter devastation” was “miraculously avoided” and “it was pure luck saved you from dealing with that for the rest of your life.” 

Judge Fay disqualified him from driving for 20 years on the dangerous driving charges and sentenced him to three months in prison for not having a licence, three months in prison for having no insurance and she gave him another 20 year disqualification on the insurance charge.