Driver drove wrong way down motorway

Corruptable

TWO people died after a woman drove for 8km on the wrong side of a motorway, an inquest was told yesterday.
The tragedy was described as an "ultimate nightmare" for motorists by a coroner.

And the woman caused a head-on collision in the fast lane of the motorway, coroner Brian Mahon said.

The details emerged at the inquest into the death of Helen Gonoude (66), of Derrygolan, Killeigh, Co Offaly.

The inquest at Offaly Coroner's Court heard Mrs Gonoude had "a moderate-to-high alcohol level" when she drove against the flow of traffic in the fast lane of the M6 Dublin to Galway, in Co Westmeath, heading towards Dublin.

Although a number of attempts were made to stop her, Mrs Gonoude collided head-on with a car between Moate and Clara on June 28 last year.

The driver of the second car -- Galway native Delia Flaherty who was in her 30s -- died in hospital three days later.

It is believed Mrs Gonoude, who was driving home after visiting her son Joe's home in Rochfortbridge for the first time, missed her exit before joining the motorway in the wrong direction at Garrycastle.

At around 2.30pm, Sarah Brennan was driving on the motorway towards Athlone from the Dublin side when she saw a blue car driving towards her in the overtaking lane.

Although she took evasive action and beeped her horn at the car, Ms Brennan said the woman driving "never braked, slowed or looked up at me".

Garda Elaine Conlon said she was on the M6 when she "suddenly noticed cars in front braking", trying to avoid an oncoming vehicle which had slowed due to the heavy traffic.

"I ran to the window and banged on the window . . . I told her to stop," Garda Conlon said: "She looked at me but she didn't make contact with me, she just drove on."

Mullingar-based Garda Eva O'Connor was working in the area when she got a call about the incident. Keeping the traffic behind her at a distance, she drove along the motorway with blue lights flashing until the Mrs Gonoude's car approached.

Gda O'Connor got out of her car. "I signalled to the driver to stop. However, as it got closer it was not reducing speed. This lady did not look at me, she drove around me."

A member of the public attempted to speak with the driver. However, the car again drove around the traffic and continued.

Just over half a kilometre away, Elizabeth and William McGuinness were in a lorry, driving towards Athlone.

"I saw a car overtake us on the right-hand lane. The next thing both cars collided headlong and seemed to jump in the air," Mrs McGuinness told gardai.

Mr McGuinness used an extinguisher to put out a fire in Mrs Gonoude's car before comforting Ms Flaherty until the ambulance arrived.

Both victims were taken to the Midland Regional Hospital at Tullamore where Mrs Gonoude was pronounced dead. Ms Flaherty was subsequently transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.

Pathologist Dr Miriam Walshe conducted a post-mortem examination on Mrs Gonoude at the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore on June 29.
Dr Walshe said Mrs Gonoude's blood-alcohol level may have been a contributory factor as it was "high enough to cause problems with driving ability". The jury found Mrs Gonoude had died as a result of injuries consistent with a road traffic collision.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/courts/driver-who-drove-wrong-way-in-m6-fatal-crash-had-been-drinking-3003902.html?start=3

I notice these hasn't been a huge amount of coverage on this in recent days.

Is this not the actions of a callous and irresponsible woman? Yet we are expected to treat it as an "accident" in which two people died. The problem I have with that is the fact that the second person who died, a young woman, did absolutely nothing to bring about her death.

Imagine stopping three times and continually driving off again? Even when blocked by a garda patrol car. It's like something you'd expect for hoodlums in Ballyfermot.

seamus

"Callous"? She was a hammered idiot. Nothing else to it really.

To be fair, the word "accident" only appears once in your post - when you typed it.

kfallon

Didn't one of our Ministers do this before, Jim McDaid???

markpb

Must be a horrible experience for the Garda involved before it happened - to see it happening and be relatively helpless to stop it.

Phill Ewinn

Suicide I reckon. This years gonna be whopper year for it. The government don't give a fvck either. Most support systems are run by charity.

trixie_belle12

Dr Walshe said Mrs Gonoude's blood-alcohol level may have been a contributory factor as it was "high enough to cause problems with driving ability"

Doesn't sound as though her blood-alcohol level was that high to warrant her ignoring several attempts to stop her. Sounds like she was hell bent on doing damage, to herself at the very least. Unfortunately others had to suffer as a result.

delta_bravo

kfallon wrote: »

Didn't one of our Ministers do this before, Jim McDaid???

He did for a shorter distance and didn't kill anyone. I think he did it on the n7. Can this woman not be charged with manslaughter?

Corruptable

seamus wrote: »

"Callous"? She was a hammered idiot. Nothing else to it really.

To be fair, the word "accident" only appears once in your post - when you typed it.

I've saw it described as an "accident" elsewhere. It's a disgrace, if this person had survived they would have been prosecuted but I feel that there's an quiet way out.

According to RTE, she was given drink by relatives which she'd only left a short time before the incident. Why did they let her leave when clearly intoxicated to the extent she must have been?

From the coveage, you'd think she'd done nothing to bring about her own demise and the demise of an innocent person.

phasers

delta_bravo wrote: »

He did for a shorter distance and didn't kill anyone. I think he did it on the n7. Can this woman not be charged with manslaughter?

I think she's dead.

Loopy

Jesus, she must have been off her face..

Nothingbetter2d

kfallon wrote: »

Didn't one of our Ministers do this before, Jim McDaid???

yeah but he didnt kill anyone... but still.

Also there has been a few incidents recently regarding people driving on the wrong side of the motorway. (another guy drove the wrong side of the m9 motorway a few weeks ago)

the driving test should have a module to test people's skills at driving on motorways before they get a full license after they get their restricted permit.

old people should be made resit the test every 3 years once they hit 70 to ensure they are both physically able to drive and mentally able.

having people that cant see properly or can remember the rules of the road cos old old age makes them just as dangerous as any drunk driver.

tests should go like this -> theory -> provisional -> restricted -> full

My name is URL

delta_bravo wrote: »

He did for a shorter distance and didn't kill anyone. I think he did it on the n7. Can this woman not be charged with manslaughter?

Absolutely, they should exhume and jail her

fryup

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

Suicide I reckon. This years gonna be whopper year for it. The government don't give a fvck either. Most support systems are run by charity.

me too

delta_bravo

phasers wrote: »

I think she's dead.

Oh I thought the two in the other car died. Mea culpa

Pissmire

I met a car, driven by a woman, going the wrong way on the N4 between Collooney and Sligo about 6am one morning. Probably 3km from where she got on, about 3km more to the next on-ramp (her exit). There was little I could do, she had passed me before it really sunk in. Never heard anything about it, either she carried on, or got off at the next on-ramp.

Nervous Wreck

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

Suicide I reckon. This years gonna be whopper year for it. The government don't give a fvck either. Most support systems are run by charity.

This was my first thought too. Sounds like she was just trying to find someone going fast enough.

Napper Hawkins

She should have been run off the road by the guards in order to protect everyone else and **** her if she was killed as a result. Despicable ****ing scumbag, alcohol is no excuse for this.

GavRedKing

Only the other night at about 2am I was going east bound towards the Jack Lynch tunnel in Cork and just before I got to the fly by the travelodge there was a car coming down the other side on my side of the road, as she got to the end of the fly over she indicated and got off the slip road just before it.

I thought I was seeing things, luckly it was late at night and with no traffic around.

Techno_Toaster

U

seamus wrote: »

"Callous"? She was a hammered idiot. Nothing else to it really.

To be fair, the word "accident" only appears once in your post - when you typed it.

Given that you don't know the woman or anything about her life I'd say that's a harsh statement to make

Corruptable

It's a horrendous waste of life, and hard questions need to be asked. I'm probably not phrasing myself properly, but it just makes me angry.

pickarooney

The 'fast' lane?

Stark

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

Suicide I reckon.

Bit selfish choosing taking someone else with you. At least the often vilified young male drivers choose the tree option.

kfallon

Nothingbetter2d wrote: »

yeah but he didnt kill anyone... but still.

Sorry, yeah I just meant the driving the wrong way when locked, not the killing/causing a fatal accident bit!

Apologies Mr McDaid and your legal team if ye are looking in

Paparazzo

kfallon wrote: »

Didn't one of our Ministers do this before, Jim McDaid???

Withnesses to the McDaid incident said when he eventually stopped, he was so locked he could hardly stand. only a 1 year driving ban and a €750 fine for what is the worst thing you can possibly do on a road without killing someone.

Nervous Wreck

Techno_Toaster wrote: »

U

Given that you don't know the woman or anything about her life I'd say that's a harsh statement to make

She was drunk and driving on the wrong side of a motorway. I'd say "hammered idiot" is a pretty accurate conclusion tbh.

Omackeral

Corruptable wrote: »

Imagine stopping three times and continually driving off again? Even when blocked by a garda patrol car. It's like something you'd expect for hoodlums in Ballyfermot.

Ouch! Do not let Sir Joseph of Duffyshire see this.

Techno_Toaster

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

Techno_Toaster wrote: »

U

Given that you don't know the woman or anything about her life I'd say that's a harsh statement to make

She was drunk and driving on the wrong side of a motorway. I'd say "hammered idiot" is a pretty accurate conclusion tbh.

Hammered yes but I disagree with the idiot bit. It's a sad, tragic event which could have been avoided but it happened. Name calling and alike won't undo it

_feedback_

You just never know what is going on in someones head. To see an example of a moment of madness in action, have a look at the documentary about the two sweedish twins who attempted suicide on a motorway in the UK. It is frightening stuff.

What was going on with that lady is anyones guess, but it definately wasn't an accident anyway. Terrible for the families....

Gurgle

The inquest at Offaly Coroner's Court heard Mrs Gonoude had "a moderate-to-high alcohol level"... Dr Walshe said Mrs Gonoude's blood-alcohol level may have been a contributory factor as it was "high enough to cause problems with driving ability"

Wtf is 'moderate-to-high', is that a legal term?
Was she above the limit or not?
If so, by how much?

Is this a lazy incompetent coroner, or a lazy incompetent reporter?

trixie_belle12

Paparazzo wrote: »

Withnesses to the McDaid incident said when he eventually stopped, he was so locked he could hardly stand. only a 1 year driving ban and a €750 fine for what is the worst thing you can possibly do on a road without killing someone.

That makes me feel physically ill tbh.:mad:

Napper Hawkins

I've been twisted drunk plenty of times over the years but no amount of booze would get me behind a wheel and send me down a motorway in the wrong direction unless I had grim intentions.

An innocent young woman is now dead because of this selfish ***** actions and I hope this Gonoude bitch rots in hell.

I am utterly disgusted by this if that's not obvious enough already.

trixie_belle12

elviscostello wrote: »

You just never know what is going on in someones head. To see an example of a moment of madness in action, have a look at the documentary about the two sweedish twins who attempted suicide on a motorway in the UK. It is frightening stuff.

What was going on with that lady is anyones guess, but it definately wasn't an accident anyway. Terrible for the families....

Watched that on youtube recently - never seen anything like it before in my life. One of the twins was taken in by a local resident after being released from Police custody and later killed him.

Phill Ewinn

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

This was my first thought too. Sounds like she was just trying to find someone going fast enough.

That's most likely. I feel so strongly about all this stuff.
Very painless/quick way to go.

I was thinking the least that f*cker Enda could do is lay on some suicide towers. The poor lads from the river rescue are out night and day looking for corpses.

Suicide is so preventable. The PS pension bill and Anglos debts are more important like.

_feedback_

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

She was drunk and driving on the wrong side of a motorway. I'd say "hammered idiot" is a pretty accurate conclusion tbh.

Napper Hawkins wrote: »

I've been twisted drunk plenty of times over the years but no amount of booze would get me behind a wheel and send me down a motorway in the wrong direction unless I had grim intentions.

An innocent young woman is now dead because of this selfish ***** actions and I hope this Gonoude bitch rots in hell.

I am utterly disgusted by this if that's not obvious enough already.

There's no need for that. The fact that you say that you wouldn't be inclined to do something like that after a load of drink, suggests that it wasn't just the drink. There had to be something else powerful driving her - no pun intended.

I wonder what, if anything was talked about concerning her mental state, as it doesn't seem to be reported on. But irish media don't do reporting on mental health.

Plazaman

Napper Hawkins wrote: »

She should have been run off the road by the guards in order to protect everyone else and **** her if she was killed as a result. Despicable ****ing scumbag, alcohol is no excuse for this.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing as I too was thinking why didn't the 2nd Guard use a stinger or break the window but unless we're in the same position hard to know how events unfolded.

Because of this being a regular occurence worldwide it never ceases to amaze that there isn't a device that would detect a car driving the wrong way down a motorway ramp and raises one of those grills to burst the tyres.

:eek: Damn I may have given away an idea for a mutli-million euro type of invention

* Searchs for Patent Office in Golden Pages

Napper Hawkins

elviscostello wrote: »

There's no need for that. The fact that you say that you wouldn't be inclined to do something like that after a load of drink, suggests that it wasn't just the drink. There had to be something else powerful driving her - no pun intended.

I wonder what, if anything was talked about concerning her mental state, as it doesn't seem to be reported on. But irish media don't do reporting on mental health.

I couldn't care less what her reasons were. Life is hard. You want to end it? Go right the **** ahead. It's your choice. But make sure it's just your own life you're taking.

Techno_Toaster

Napper Hawkins wrote: »

I've been twisted drunk plenty of times over the years but no amount of booze would get me behind a wheel and send me down a motorway in the wrong direction unless I had grim intentions.

An innocent young woman is now dead because of this selfish ***** actions and I hope this Gonoude bitch rots in hell.

I am utterly disgusted by this if that's not obvious enough already.

And I'm utterly disgusted by you. Name calling isn't going to undo events. Yes there is other options but you have no idea what she was going through. You do not know what thoughts or demons she was batteling no one does. I agree it was a terrible accident but tournament calling and utter disregard for her is awful.

She has family and I'm sure the last thing they want to read is a keyboard warrior's obscene language. Have your opinion on it yes but minus the language.

gurramok

Well said Napper. The person that did this committed murder in my eyes, intent to take another life was there.

markpb

Plazaman wrote: »

Because of this being a regular occurence worldwide it never ceases to amaze that there isn't a device that would detect a car driving the wrong way down a motorway ramp and raises one of those grills to burst the tyres.

Tiger teeth would do the trick - traffic can go in the right direction on ramps but never in the wrong direction. Cheap and easy to install. The only problem is if anyone ever needed to legitimately go in the wrong direction (emergency services, tow away truck attending a major crash, etc), it would prove somewhat tricky.

_feedback_

Napper Hawkins wrote: »

I couldn't care less what her reasons were. Life is hard. You want to end it? Go right the **** ahead. It's your choice. But make sure it's just your own life you're taking.

I didn't suggest in any way as to what her reasons were. I suggested that she might not have had much control over what she was doing, for reasons other than drink.

Life is hard / cheer up is a bit of a joke of a thing to say in fairness.

--Kaiser--

This happens more than you think. There was a news report last year which said dozens of people were driving the wrong way down the new Limerick bypass motorway every month because they didn't want to pay the toll. If I caught someone doing this I'd feel obliged to beat them to death

Napper Hawkins

elviscostello wrote: »

I didn't suggest in any way as to what her reasons were. I suggested that she might not have had much control over what she was doing, for reasons other than drink.

Life is hard / cheer up is a bit of a joke of a thing to say in fairness.

And what do you suggest one of these reasons could have been?

Run_to_da_hills

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGJbrt_LJ7Y

_feedback_

Napper Hawkins wrote: »

And what do you suggest one of these reasons could have been?

If you read my posts on this thread, it's obvious what I am alluding to...

Napper Hawkins

Techno_Toaster wrote: »

And I'm utterly disgusted by you. Name calling isn't going to undo events. Yes there is other options but you have no idea what she was going through. You do not know what thoughts or demons she was batteling no one does. I agree it was a terrible accident but tournament calling and utter disregard for her is awful.

She has family and I'm sure the last thing they want to read is a keyboard warrior's obscene language. Have your opinion on it yes but minus the language.

Nope, you're right. Name calling is not going to undo events but I feel she deserves it anyway. If this was your typical suicide whereupon she was the sole victim I would have far more sympathy for her.

But she wasn't, so I don't.

Disregard?! Just like her complete and utter disregard for the safety and lives of whomever was unlucky enough to crash head on into her? Are you serious?! I apologise for the vulgarities but if my use of obscene language in order to demonstrate my utter disgust for this individuals actions is what is most offensive to you, then you really need to have a good old re-think there.

Also, the bit I've bolded? Irrelevant.

My sympathies go out to both families but I refuse to see this as anything but a callous, selfish act by an individual who deserves nothing but my bile.

Napper Hawkins

elviscostello wrote: »

If you read my posts on this thread, it's obvious what I am alluding to...

If you read my posts on this thread, it's obvious I don't give a flying one.

Chuck Stone

With Napper on this one. This 'but you don't know what mental state she was in' is bull****.

What evidence do we have?

She was in a mental state that allowed to her doggedly drive up the wrong side of the motorway after repeatedly ignoring warnings.

She was well able to drive a car down a straight line the wrong way but not able to understand that she was going to wipe someone out if she continued?

Na. don't buy it.

Murder - suicide.

whiskeyman

I don't think it was suicide. She was 66 and never drove on a motorway before. She probably panicked when she was stopped as she knew she had a few drinks. With panic and drink, people do crazy things behind the wheel.
I wonder how her son feels about letting his mother drive home over the limit.
It's an awful story

stevenmu

Tbh I'd find it hard to believe that this was a suicide attempt. She appears to have slowed and stopped several times due to oncoming traffic, which implies that a) she was not trying to deliberately collide with other cars and b) she was driving slowly enough to stop and therefore not going all out for the biggest smash possible.

Though I suppose people who are suicidal aren't exactly rational to begin with.

laoisman11

I can appreciate that posters may have lost loved ones due to stupidity of others on the roads, but Christ, will ye take one minute to read between the lines of what was written in the OP.......

Tragic story.

ProudDUB

I suppose we'll never know what was going on in the womans head, but yeah, all the failed attempts to stop her do point towards one conclusion. But what I do know is that her son (the one that she was visiting) who served her alcohol knowing that (a) she was driving home and (b) was doing so on motorway that she had never driven on before that day, deserves a good kick up the arse. Would have liked to see an apology from him yesterday to the other womans family.

Do agree that motorway entrances should have something on them to stop cars going the wrong way. Those tire nail things would do the jobbie, provided it was done in a way that banjaxed cars could pull up on a layby or hard shoulder or something so that they did not impede the flow of traffic coming up the ramp. Imagine the snarl ups if every car had to stop and wait until the tow truck showed up. They could be installed with a special key thingy that emergency vechicles, tow trucks etc would be provided with to disable them if need be.