Law change plea from woman after life-changing crash

A woman who was left with life-changing injuries after she was knocked down while she was with her three-year-old grandchild has called for a change in the law regarding older drivers.

Donna Deeney, a former journalist from Greysteel in County Londonderry, suffered severe arm, leg, and knee injuries after being hit by a car at a pedestrian crossing in Main Street, Eglinton, in December 2023.

She said it was a miracle her granddaughter was not killed as the car travelled over the child as she lay motionless.

Valeria Greenwood, 88, from Woodvale Road in Eglinton, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, for causing grievous bodily injury by careless driving.

She has also been disqualified from driving for life.

Mrs Deeney said the day had started out as a "routine Monday morning" as she was going to collect a prescription along with her granddaughter Fiadh.

She said as they approached a zebra crossing, she was telling the little girl about road safety.

A bus came towards the crossing and stopped, she explained.

"I was aware that there was traffic on the other side of the road and we stepped off in front of the bus and I explained to my granddaughter that he [the bus driver] had done so because we were on a zebra crossing and told her 'we are safe'.

"And I no more had that word out of my mouth when I felt a car plough into me and I realised I was knocked under the bonnet of that car but I also realised that that car wasn't stopping.

"There was no sensation that the driver had braked or even slowed down. So, I was knocked then from the bonnet and fell back into the zebra crossing and, instinctively, I turned round to look for Fiadh and Fiadh was lying on the road.

"And just then the car drove right over the top of Fiadh. I lay there and I couldn't move and I thought I had witnessed the death of my granddaughter. "

Mrs Deeney said she was in "hysterics" and she shouted for Fiadh, who was crying.

"There then just seemed to be pandemonium. There were people coming from everywhere," she said.

"And she was saying: 'I want my granny.' But somewhere in the recesses of my brain I still thought Fiadh was dead.

"I remember I saw somebody lift Fiadh and put her over onto the pavement but I knew I was badly injured. I couldn't move."

She said she had to ring her son and tell him what had happened.

"To this day I don't know how Fiadh survived. Had she not been on the ground that car would have hit her and I don't know how Fiadh got to the ground.

"If she had fallen slightly to the left of where she was or slightly to the right of where she was the wheels of that car would have gone over her.

"So had she not been exactly where she was…. to me, that's a miracle."

Mrs Deeney wants the law changed so drivers are tested to determine if they are fit to be on the road after the age of 75.

"I think it is literally a matter of life and death that that law is changed," she said.

"No one can tell me that your reaction time, or even your perception, is as sharp as it should be if you are in your 80s as to what it is when you are in your 20s, your 30s or your 40s.

"There are a lot more cars on the road now. Life is faster. You need your wits about you when you're in the car.

"You need to be aware of hazards and aware that you could be a danger on the road."

Mrs Deeney said her life "effectively stopped" on the day of the collision and she was a "different person".

"I used to be confident and capable. I'm none of those things now," she said.

"I've lost my independence, which is very frustrating. I depend on others to do simple things for me, things that I would have done without even thinking about, like cooking the Christmas dinner.

"All the things that gave me pleasure in life have been taken away from me. I loved my garden.

"I took early retirement so I could look after my parents, but my sister-in-law and three nieces had to step in.

"I can't go on holidays. We used to love going on city breaks because I love architecture but all that's gone, too, because I can't walk."

Mrs Deeney said she cannot stand for any more than 10 or 15 minutes.

A spokesperson for the Department for Infrastructure said under current rules, drivers must renew their licence at the age of 70 and every three years thereafter.

As part of that process, they are required to declare any medical condition or disability that could affect their ability to drive, including dementia, insulin-treated diabetes, epilepsy and neurological or vision issues, the department said.

"There is a requirement on all drivers to declare any condition they develop that may impact their ability to drive, regardless of age," the spokesperson added.

"Where any such conditions are declared, medical assessments are carried out to determine the individual's medical fitness to drive."