The elderly woman who was struck by Frienna Rockett, 29, said the collision had left her struggling to leave the house and that she was not in pain “all day, every day”
An elderly woman said eight heart-breaking words after she was mowed down by a “distracted” driver.
Frienna Rockett, 29, had not been paying attention to the road as she had been trying to locate her sister’s home when she broke a red light on St Peter’s Road, Crumlin, Dublin, when she ploughed into the 81-tear-old woman, Dublin’s Circuit Criminal Court heard. Rockett, from Ballybrack, in County Wexford, and pleaded guilty to one count of careless driving causing serious bodily harm on December 16, 2022.
It was heard she had no previous convictions. The elderly woman suffered a bleed to the brain, multiple fractures to her legs, pelvis and clavicle, as well as a dislocated shoulder.
She went on to spend some time in intensive care as well as in rehabilitation following the collision. In a victim impact statement read out by the prosecution, the victim said the collision had been “devastating” to her mental health.
She had been fit and active but now cannot go line dancing, or meet her friends as she struggles to leave home. “My life is very sad and lonely now,” she said.
The woman is now “terrified” to walk close to the road or be around traffic. She also lives in constant pain, making getting around difficult. She added, she could no longer drive or take public transport, now relying on a walking aid and mobility scooter.
Speaking about her injuries, the victim said she was in pain “all day, every day.” She added: “I’m pretty much helpless. I feel vulnerable all the time and live with a lot of fear.”
The court heard how Rockett had been driving her Volkswagen Gold at about 12:30pm on the day of the collision when she knocked down the woman. She stayed at the scene and alerted emergency services.
She tested negative for intoxicating substances and her paperwork and insurance was in order, the court heard. When questioned by police, Rocket said she had been driving “at a snail’s pace” and that the woman “came out from nowhere,” while the traffic light at the crossing had been green.
But CCTV footage of the incident along with footage taken from a dashcam of a van travelling directly behind Rockett showed her car did indeed break the red light, the Irish Mirror reported.
When the video was played in court, the victim covered her eyes to avoid watching it. Rockett later said she took her eyes off the road to look for her sister’s home.
Judge Pauline Codd noted drivers must always be careful when driving, particularly in residential areas. “The consequences are enormous for (the victim),” she said. “Her life as she knew it has been undone by this accident. One never intends to go out and do it, but when one is driving a car there is a massive responsibility. It can have fatal consequences. I consider going through a red light to be a very serious matter, especially at a pedestrian crossing.”
The court heard the maximum sentence for careless driving causing serious bodily harm is two years’ imprisonment and/ or a fine of up to €10,000. Judge Codd adjourned the matter until June 4.