A teenager has pleaded guilty to killing a nurse in a hit-and-run while high on drugs and ‘fast gas’.

Keelan O’Connell, 19, admitted the charge before Judge Colin Daly at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court. He was remanded in custody yesterday for sentencing.

The victim, Áine O’Reilly, 33, of Pallasgreen, Co. Limerick, died at the scene when O’Connell collided with a car that was forced into the path of Ms O’Reilly’s vehicle, as she travelled to work at ShannonDoc in Limerick.

A teenager has pleaded guilty to killing a nurse in a hit-and-run while high on drugs and ‘fast gas’. Pic: Facebook Story by David Raleigh
A teenager has pleaded guilty to killing a nurse in a hit-and-run while high on drugs and ‘fast gas’. Pic: Facebook Story by David Raleigh

The fatal collision occurred at 11.10 pm on the N24, Grange West, Boher, Co. Limerick, on Friday, February 13 this year.

Investigating officer Garda Tony Burke, of Henry Street station, told a court previously that on the night, O’Connell was driving a ‘high-powered’ Volkswagen Golf ‘at excess speed’ when he attempted to perform a ‘dangerous manoeuvre’ in the moments prior to the collision.

Gda Burke said O’Connell collided with a Peugeot car as he attempted to undertake it, forcing it into the path of Ms O’Reilly, who was driving a Nissan Micra. The garda said O’Connell ‘fled the scene on foot’ without offering assistance to Ms O’Reilly or the Peugeot driver.

limerick nurse
Áine O’Reilly died in the hit-and-run collision in February 2026. Pic: RIP.ie

O’Connell, of Scanlon Park, Castleconnell, Limerick, handed himself in to gardaí a few days later, and admitted during interviews under caution that he had been high on ‘cannabis’ and ‘fast gas’ or nitrous oxide, said Gda Burke.

Ms O’Reilly died at the scene, said Gda Burke. After his arrest, O’Connell was refused bail. Gda Burke told the bail hearing that in his view, O’Connell would continue to commit further serious crimes if he was granted bail.

O’Connell told gardaí he won the VW Golf in a raffle a few days prior to the fatal collision.

Yesterday, O’Connell pleaded guilty to eight charges in total, including dangerous driving causing death, dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to the Peugeot driver, hit-and-run charges of failing to remain at the scene, failing to offer assistance, and failing to report the collision to gardaí, as well as driving without a licence and driving without insurance.

Judge Daly remanded O’Connell in continuing custody for sentencing in November.