“The guy who hit me not only destroyed my life, he destroyed my future": driver to be sentenced later for knocking down cyclist

A Longford man has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious harm following an incident in Blanchardstown, Dublin on 2 August 2013. Dylan Meade, aged 21, admitted to dangerous driving, failing to stop after an accident, driving without a licence and driving without insurance. The charges relate to a collision involving a cyclist who sustained severe brain trauma. The court heard that Meade had assumed driving duties from his brother-in-law, whom he described as incapacitated. Witnesses reported the van struck the cyclist at approximately 57 kilometres per hour, propelling him several feet into the air. The injured party, a Romanian man in his early thirties, provided a victim impact statement to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court describing the lasting physical and psychological consequences of his injuries, which included a four-month period of amnesia. His family detailed significant emotional and behavioural changes resulting from the accident. Judge Catherine Murphy will impose sentence on 22 July.