By Georgina Brennan

An Irishman who was convicted of drunk driving was given five years of probation and a fine last week in Queens Criminal Court.

Queens carpenter Gerard Gormley, 37, who is originally from Cork, pleaded guilty in October to driving while under the influence and to leaving the scene of an accident without reporting it as a felony in a near fatal collision in Astoria where a young girl ended up in a coma.

In March, Gormley, a carpenter living in New York for several years, allegedly ran a red light. His 1991 Chevrolet Caprice collided with a 2002 Ford Taurus, which was carrying an Albanian family returning home from a wedding. The collision into the rear of the car sent the Taurus spinning into upright pole that supported an elevated train track for the New York City subway.

Ilda Ujkaj, a 10-year-old girl traveling in the back seat of the Taurus, was taken to Long Island Jewish Hospital in critical condition. She slipped into a coma.

Her cousin, also travelling in the back seat, Selma Purovic, 19, was also in the back seat and was critically injured.

Gormley was arrested by police soon after the accident because he left his license plate at the scene. The crash on 35th Avenue at 31st Street in Astoria smashed the bumper of the Caprice against the ground and unhinged the license plate.

Witnesses at the scene kept the license plate for police officers. They also followed the car to Gormley’s home at 25-10 Crescent Street in Astoria. Police traced the license plate to his home and found him sleeping and arrested him.

“I had a little accident,” police said Gormley admitted at the time.

In court in October, Gormley pleaded guilty and admitted that he had drank four beers before getting into his car to drive home. He was seen at the accident reversing away from the Taurus and hitting a fire hydrant before driving away.

“We were going through the green light. I didn’t see his face. But he was coming fast,” Fatbardha Ujkaj the mother of the little girl told the Irish Voice by phone from the hospital in March. “My husband tried to swerve, but it was too late.”

Police said Gormley’s car was in his driveway in a crashed state. The girl has since recovered, although she still requires physical therapy. The family has filed a $50 million lawsuit against Gormley.

Though Gormley faced four years in prison he was sentenced to five years of probation after his lawyers pleaded for him to be treated leniently. He was described as an upstanding member of society with no criminal record or background. The fact that the girl had recovered was also taken into account.

Gormley will also pay a $1,000 fine, give up his license for six months and attend a course for drunken drivers.

His lawyer Michael Giampilis of the law firm Rabinowitz and Galina in Mineola was unavailable for comment.