A 35-year-old Zimbabwean learner driver, Tennyson Dube, has been banned from driving for two years and fined €300 after a high-speed hit-and-run crash in Ireland that caused major damage and widespread power outages.
The incident occurred on Kingscourt Road in Mullanarry, where Dube’s vehicle collided at high speed, spinning out of control and crashing into an ESB electricity pole. He fled the scene on foot, leaving behind a female passenger who suffered a broken rib.
The destruction of the electricity pole triggered a significant outage affecting nearly 1,200 homes for several hours. Evidence presented in court estimated the damage to the electrical infrastructure at around €60,000.
Dube, identified as an international protection applicant, was convicted of dangerous driving. His sentence includes a €300 fine and a two-year driving ban for his role in the collision and for abandoning the injured passenger at the scene.
