A male driver crashed into a girl aged 12 after failing to stop at a red traffic light due to an alleged momentary distraction, a court has learnt. The young victim sustained injuries that included swelling to her temple and an eyebrow cut, but has since made a full recovery since the incident in Dublin last year.
Guillermo Salazar, aged 51, initially faced a charge of dangerous driving causing life-threatening injuries, but later confessed to a reduced charge of reckless driving causing significant injuries. The incident happened on the 18th of March, 2023, at Wyckham Way, Dundrum, Dublin.
Salazar, residing at Greenpark Road, Bray, Co Wicklow, received a suspended sentence of nine months during a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court session. Following the incident, the Garda was summoned to the site where they discovered the young victim situated on the road near the pavement, already under the care of the Fire Brigade. Salazar’s Peugeot car was found parked close by.
At the scene, Salazar confessed to the gardaí that his traffic light had been green at the pedestrian crossing, but despite this, he was unable to avoid the collision and hit the young girl. A witness driving behind Salazar reported observing a red traffic light and noticed the Peugeot in front of him failing to stop. He stated that he saw a girl starting to cross the road and sounded his horn to alert her; however, the Peugeot continued to move straight past the red light, striking the girl.
A second pedestrian witness described how the girl had barely taken two steps onto the road before a grey car sped through the crossing and hit her. He then checked the pedestrian lights and confirmed them as green.
The court heard from a 12-year-old who informed the law enforcement officials that her last memory before waking up hospitalised was of seeing a ‘green man’. In court, a comprehensive report was presented by the Garda Forensic Collision Investigation Unit, compiled using CCTV footage. It highlighted that the youngster had waited for 18 seconds at the crossing after hitting the pedestrian light button.
The report disclosed that the one driving the Peugeot attempted to dodge the pedestrian by minutely steering his wheels to the right, but the car was too near for this manoeuvre to be successful. The court was informed about the car colliding with the minor, causing her to hurtle into the wing mirror and hit her head on the windscreen.
The driver, Salazar, maintained a speed of 45km/h in a 50km/h zone and was sober, it was revealed in court. The investigation report pointed out that the girl was in clear sight and if Salazar had responded within a split second, the crash may have been prevented.
The young girl had to undergo cosmetic surgery to fix a gash on her left eyebrow and was released from the hospital after a few days. Garda McDonnell concurred with Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC, Salazar’s defence, that his client had pled guilty at the earliest opportunity. The defensive side’s observation that there was no evidence of any previous inappropriate driving activity and that this seemed to be a fleeting lapse in concentration by Salazar was also approved. Mr Ó Lideadha elaborated on his client’s deep anguish due to the accident, the injuries inflicted on the victim, and the aftermath of a conviction. A letter of remorse was submitted to the court.
Judge Martin Nolan pointed out that the young girl had adhered to the correct procedure for crossing the road. He further commented that had the defendant paid adequate attention, he would have noticed the red light and Salazar was held accountable for the inattention that caused the accident. Judge Nolan pronounced a nine-month sentence, entirely suspended on stringent conditions. He decided against imposing a driving prohibition, observing that an endorsement would be added to Salazar’s licence, which would carry its own implications.