A man on his honeymoon from the US will be confined to a wheelchair for life after his car collided head-on with the State car of Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív, a court heard yesterday.
The accident occurred exactly a year ago yesterday, at Torc, Killarney.
The car in which the Minister had been travelling burst into flames within minutes of the collision, Killarney District Court also heard.
John Corbett (57), West Park Avenue, St Louis, Missouri, was not in court yesterday. He was still in the US and was pleading guilty to a charge of careless driving, his solicitor Eoin Brosnan said.
The State had agreed to reduce the original charge from that of dangerous driving and the summonses and charge sheets were amended yesterday, again by agreement between the parties.
Insp James O'Connor, prosecuting, said that at 2.20pm on November 15th, 2004, on the Killarney to Kenmare road some five miles from Killarney, a State vehicle "with Minister Éamon Ó Cuív on board" was driving near Torc towards Kenmare.
After a straight section Mr Ó Cuív's car was taking a left-hand bend when Mr Corbett's car approached.
"When they first saw the car Mr Corbett was on the correct side. For some unknown reason the car crossed the road to the wrong side," Insp O'Connor said.
There was a head-on collision and three passengers in the State vehicle suffered minor injuries.
Mr Ó Cuív's car caught fire and went up in flames "within minutes", Insp O'Connor said.
Mr Corbett was trapped in his car and he suffered trauma as a result of the collision.
Mr Brosnan said Mr Corbett was a man in his 50s touring Ireland on his honeymoon.
He did not know why his vehicle crossed the road when it did, and he was now investigating the possibility there was a defect in the Opel vehicle he was driving.
Mr Brosnan said his client had been severely injured, was taken to Kerry General Hospital and was later flown back to the US by air ambulance.
He would be confined to a wheelchair for life and had not recovered from his accident.
"He was the biggest loser in all of this," Mr Brosnan said. It was unlikely Mr Corbett would return to Ireland, he added.
Judge James O'Connor convicted Mr Corbett and fined him €150, with two months to pay. The judge also ordered that his licence be endorsed.