US mom killed during "special trip" to Ireland remembered as "truly beautiful"

Hundreds of donations have been made to the GoFundMe for the husband and sons of Allison Eichner, the Connecticut woman who was killed in a road collision in Bushmills, Co Antrim, on Wednesday, June 11.

Launched by three of Eichner's friends last week, the GoFundMe has so far received more than $62k across more than 480 donations.

The loss of Eichner is "heartbreaking," the organizers wrote on the GoFundMe page.

"Allison was truly a beautiful person — inside and out — with a kindness and generosity that radiated through everything she did. She had a gift for making everyone around her feel seen, loved, and truly cared for."

The organizers describe Eichner as a "devoted wife" and "amazing mom, adding: "Her love for her family was limitless, and her greatest joy was being their rock, their safe place, and their biggest cheerleader."

Eichner's "quiet sense of humor often caught you off guard — sweet on the surface, with an unexpectedly sharp and hilarious wit, and a wonderfully dirty sense of humor that always made you laugh when you least expected it," the organizers say.

They continue: "She was the person who gave endlessly, never asking for anything in return. Whether it was her time, her love, or just a listening ear over a cup of tea (with gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, of course), Allison was always there."

Eichner was "on a long-awaited, special trip to Ireland to explore her heritage" when she died.

"What was meant to be a time of joy and exploration ended far too soon in an unimaginable tragedy," the organizers wrote.

The funds raised will help Eichner's husband and two sons with "funeral expenses, immediate needs, and to provide some peace of mind as they begin to find their way forward."

"If you can give, thank you," the organizers wrote. "If you can share, thank you. Most of all, please keep Allison’s family in your thoughts and prayers.

"Thank you for your love and support."

Allison Eichner. (GoFundMe)

Last Wednesday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) confirmed that an American citizen, Allison Eichner, died following a one-vehicle road traffic collision in the Causeway Road area of Bushmills in Co Antrim that day.

The PSNI confirmed the victim's name as Allison Eichner, and that she was an American citizen "from the Connecticut area."

PSNI Detective Inspector Cherith Adair said: “Police received and responded to a report of a collision shortly before 12.30pm.

“Colleagues from the emergency services also attended the scene.

“A female pedestrian aged in her 40s was taken to hospital by colleagues from the emergency services, however she sadly died from her injuries.

“One person was arrested at the scene, and remains in custody at this time, assisting with enquiries.

“Detectives from the Collision Investigation Unit are conducting enquiries to establish the circumstances of the collision, and would ask anyone who might have information which could assist, to get in touch.

“The number to call is 101, quoting reference number 683 of 11/06/25.”

Illinois woman Cathy Stewart charged in Allison Eichner's death

On Thursday, the PSNI confirmed that a 66-year-old woman had been charged with causing death by careless driving and that she was due to appear in Coleraine Magistrates' Court the following day.

The PA reported on Friday that the woman who had been charged was 66-year-old Cathy Stewart, a special needs teacher from Benton, Illinois.

According to the PA, a police constable said in court on Friday that the single-vehicle road traffic collision occurred at the front of the Causeway Hotel on the Causeway Road in Bushmills just after noon on June 11.

The collision, the constable said, "involved a grey Ford Transit, a multiple-person vehicle, being driven by the defendant.

"The defendant collided with the pedestrian while she sat on a bench at the front of the property.”

According to the PA, the constable said: "CCTV footage of the collision was obtained from the hotel, and it shows a Ford Transit being parked in the disabled parking bay after which the passengers get out and make their way into the hotel entrance.

“The driver’s door appears to open slightly as though the driver was exiting the vehicle; however, the vehicle moves forward slowly, and then suddenly bolts forward, colliding with a light fixture, outdoor dining furniture, and the victim who was sitting beside her brother on a bench.

“Her brother jumped out of the way, but unfortunately, the injured party sustained the full impact of the vehicle.

“The defendant was cautioned at the scene and gave an account consistent with the CCTV. The defendant stated she believed she had turned the car off before attempting to exit, and as it rolled forward, she tried to apply the foot brake; however, instead she hit the accelerator, causing the collision.”

The constable said Stewart fully cooperated and appeared remorseful.

“She had been in Northern Ireland since Tuesday afternoon on holiday with family and friends. She had left Belfast that morning with the ultimate destination of heading to Londonderry,” the constable said in court, according to the PA.

“The vehicle was a rental vehicle, and she described taking time to familiarise herself with the controls before she left the airport. The defendant would say she was very cautious driving and stated she was in no rush.

“She admitted that she had never driven an electric or hybrid vehicle before, she described pulling into the parking space, stating that she pressed the start/stop button on the left hand side of the steering wheel, and, as far as she was concerned, the vehicle shut down and stopped.

“The passengers in the vehicle got out, and she remained in the driver’s seat for a short time before stepping out of the vehicle and feeling it moving forward. She described trying to get back in and feeling for the brake, trying to stop the vehicle, however she stated she was feeling shocked and disorientated about what happened.”

A defence lawyer for Stewart described it as a “tragic, tragic case" and a "simple error."

The lawyer said that at the end of her interview, Stewart wrote: "I’m just devastated, I can’t get that family out of my mind. I’m the person who protects, to know that someone lost their life is devastating."

The PA reported that Stewart was granted bail on a number of conditions, including residing at her home address in Illinois and a £5,000 cash surety, in recognition that the case is unlikely to be heard until 2026 at the earliest.