Van driver left scene of road crash that injured woman

• 3h ago

A VAN driver left the scene of an accident after he rear-ended a car, leaving the driver injured and car damaged, a court heard.

Floren Coc (29) was separately arrested when gardaí found him carrying a six-inch steak knife on a city street after he had been attacked.

Judge Bryan Smyth adjourned the case at Dublin District Court for a victim impact statement from the car owner.

Coc, with an address at Newcomen Street, North Strand, Dublin 1, admitted hit and run and possession of a weapon in the incidents.

Garda Sergeant Maire McDevitt told the court on March 28, 2019, the crash victim came to Clontarf station and reported that her Fiat Punto had been stopped in traffic when a van collided with the rear of the vehicle.

The van did not stop or stay at the scene of the accident and the woman’s car was badly damaged.

She had suffered some injuries as a result of the rear-ending and had to attend hospital, the sergeant said.

Coc was later identified and was charged.

The hit-and-run victim recovered and there were no long-term issues, the court heard.

Separately, on May 8, 2022, gardaí were called to a report that a man had a knife at Nottingham Street, Dublin 3.

They saw Coc at the scene with six-inch steak knife in his hand and he discarded it when the gardaí approached.

Coc had been the subject of an attack that day by “two Moldovan gentlemen”, his barrister said.

“That doesn’t give him any excuse for carrying a knife,” Judge Smyth said.