Charleville Crash: 87-Year-Old Driver Pleads Guilty After Fatal Collision

For the family of Mary Fehilly, the loss of their matriarch in a town center parking lot changed daily life overnight. Fehilly, 72, died after a car mounted a footpath in Charleville, County Cork, on November 2, 2024. Her driver, Agnes Foley, 87, has now pleaded guilty to the charges arising from that crash.

The incident unfolded while Foley was driving her Mazda into town for lunch with her daughter. According to Garda Christopher Gleeson of the Charleville station, Foley was slowing down to pull into a space on Main Street. In a momentary lapse, she placed her foot on the accelerator rather than the brake.

The vehicle accelerated forward and mounted the footpath. It struck Fehilly and another pedestrian, John Collins, before rolling back off the sidewalk. Fehilly suffered severe injuries from the impact.

Fehilly was transported by air ambulance to Cork University Hospital. State Pathologist Dr. Yvonne McCarthy performed a postmortem examination. The findings indicated that Fehilly died from hemorrhage and shock resulting from multiple traumatic injuries sustained in the collision. She passed away later that night.

Collins, 68, suffered a fractured pelvis and serious injuries to his left leg. In a victim impact statement read in court, Collins described how his life now revolves around medical appointments. Despite completing 40 sessions of physiotherapy and four lymphatic draining treatments, doctors told him he will live with reduced mobility.

Siobhán Fehilly read a statement on behalf of her father George, her siblings, and herself. The family described their mother as the heart of their unit. Siobhán Fehilly noted that her parents had been married for 49 years and were looking forward to a 50th wedding anniversary that they never reached. She recalled seeing her mother lying on the footpath, knowing she was badly injured. Her mother told the family she was going to die. The family had to bring her father, George, to the scene in case it was the last time he would see her alive.

Foley had been driving for 60 years without any prior record of blemish. She is a widow, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Defense counsel Marjorie Farrelly argued for leniency, noting that Foley had no signs of impairment before the crash. Farrelly emphasized that the error was accidental and that Foley has never shied away from her responsibility.

Since the crash, Foley has stopped driving. She cooperated with the Gardaí from the start and wrote letters of apology to both families. In her letter, Foley expressed deep remorse. She wrote that she felt so guilty that the day would always be a nightmare and that nothing would erase it from her mind.

Judge Helen Boyle extended her sympathies to the Fehilly family for their loss and to Collins for his injuries. The court adjourned the sentencing hearing until November 4.

Foley will return to Cork Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing on that date. The case involves one fatality and one serious injury on Main Street in Charleville.