Man died pushing niece to safety, court hears

A man who struck and fatally injured a young pedestrian at a crossing in Ballina, County Mayo, has received a fully suspended sentence at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court. James Moyles, aged thirty-three, died on February twentieth, two thousand twenty-four, after being hit by a car on Lord Edward Street whilst holding his four-year-old niece's hand. In his final moments, Mr Moyles pushed the child to safety from the oncoming vehicle. Keith O'Brien, aged fifty, of Lowvalley, Crossmolina, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death. He received a suspended sentence of two and a half years and was disqualified from driving for ten years. Judge Eoin Garavan described Mr Moyles' final act as one of great selflessness, whilst characterising O'Brien as a good man who made a terrible error in judgment. The Moyles family issued a statement calling for improved road safety across Ireland.