US tourist whose wife was killed in Irish holiday crash speaks of family's suffering

A US tourist who lost his wife and suffered serious injuries when they were hit by a car at the Rock of Dunamase has written of his family’s suffering. 

Doug Jones required surgery after being struck by the car which claimed the life of his wife Laura at the scenic tourist spot in Laois on October 7, 2022.   

Jamie Kearns, 20, of 22 Cosby Avenue, Portlaoise has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm in relation to the incident on October 7, 2022. 

He appeared before a sitting of Portlaoise Circuit Court where details of the case were heard before Judge Keenan Johnson. 

William Fennelly BL outlined the prosecution case. He said that Mr Jones and his wife were in the country with their youngest daughter Erin and her partner Jacob. 

The family, who are from Parker, Colorado in the US, were travelling to the South West and had stopped en route to visit the Rock of Dunamase at around 1.15pm in the day. 

He explained that a narrow road off the N80 leads up to a t-junction and car park at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church. 

“The Jones grouping parked up outside this church,” he said. 

The young couple went ahead and made their way towards the Rock of Dunamase. 

“They heard the sound of what  appeared to be a car driving, very, very fast,” he explained. 

Mr Fennelly said the car appears to have gone “completely out of control”  at high speed “knocking both of them over the wall” of the church. 

“A large block then fell on top of Mrs Jones,” he explained. 

Mr Fennelly said Mrs Jones was immediately knocked unconscious and by the time medical assistance had arrived she was pronounced dead at the scene.  

He said the defendant had been driving a 09 register Ford Fiesta which he had recently purchased. He was driving a group of three friends on the date in question. 

“Mr Kearns was driving very fast and they were asking him to slow down,” said Mr Fennelly.

He said the car was inspected after the collision but there was no evidence of any defects. He also noted the driver was tested and no intoxicants were detected in his system. 

Mr Fennelly asked Garda Sergeant Katherine Kelliher about the cause of the collision.

“It would appear that the accident was essentially down to driver error,” he said. “Correct,” Sgt Kelliher replied. 

He said the defendant was detained and questioned at Portlaoise Garda Station. 

During the interview the defendant told gardaí he had slowed to between 20 and 25 kmh when he approached the church. 

“I tried to hit the wall instead of the people,” he told gardaí. 

“The car skidded and hit the people,” he said. 

He spoke of attempting to help the woman after the collision. 

“She had a stone on her chest so I lifted the stone off,” he said.   

In his statements, Mr Fennelly said the accused had denied he was told to slow down five times by one of his friends. 

“Mr Kearns wasn’t really accepting that he was speeding,” Mr Fennelly asked Sgt Kelliher. She said that was correct. 

The court heard estimates of the speed of the car and collision were drawn from witness statements. Sgt Kelliher said the collision occurred on a good clear day.  

The court heard the car had been bought two weeks before the collision on September 26, 2022 and the driver was on a provisional licence. 

Judge Keenan Johnson asked whether any of the passengers were qualified drivers. He was told they weren’t. 

Sgt Kelliher said she believed the defendant, who left school at 16, was working as a labourer on a building site.  

Defence Counsel Conor Devally SC asked whether engineers had been able to calculate the exact speed of the car.  Sgt Kelliher confirmed they had not. He said there had been no reports of his driving being inappropriate on the larger roads on the day. 

He said it appears the defendant came to the brow of a hill where the church was and broke hard. Sgt Kelliher said that would be correct. He said there was no attempt to leave the scene.  He said his client lacked driving experience. He said the young man had difficulty in school and had left at the age of 16.

Mr Devally said his client was “overwhelmingly sorry at what he has done and I am asked to convey that”. 

Garda Andrea Byrne was assigned as Garda Liaison Officer to the Jones family.  She said Mr Jones had surgery in Ireland and returned to the US a week after the collision. She maintained contact with the family and offered them the opportunity to attend or observe the court proceedings in person or by video.

“They just weren’t able,” Garda Byrne stated. 

She read out a victim impact statement on behalf of Doug Jones. 

He explained it was “hard to put into words the pain and suffering our family has endured.” 

“This was the first stop after arriving in Ireland on vacation,” he explained. 

“Our lives are changed forever,” said Mr Jones. 

He said his eldest daughter had since been married and her mother wasn’t present for the day. He said his youngest daughter had witnessed the scene of the accident. He suffered a shattered tibia and fibula and still hasn’t fully recovered. 

“This was a careless, reckless and selfish act,” he said. 

Mr Devally said his client has a “growing sense of the devastation and harm his driving has caused.” 

He said it was a wonder that the road leading up to the church has a 80km speed limit. 

“Something of that order would be quite dangerous on reaching the brow of the hill,” he suggested. 

Judge Johnson asked Sgt Kelliher if she felt the speed was appropriate for the road. “No, I don’t,” she replied. 

Judge Keenan said he believed 30km would be more appropriate. 

Mr Devally said while his client’s actions could rightly be deemed stupid and reckless, the man didn’t have drink or drugs in his system. Although he drove without a qualified driver, Mr Devally said the aggravating factor was his driving on the day. 

Judge Johnson said he would have to take time to consider judgement in the case and he would return to it on Friday. 

Judge Johnson offered his deepest sympathy to the Jones family on the loss of Laura Jones.