Truck driver fined for driving without due care and attention after lorry's load caught overhanging Christmas lights

A Carrigaline man walking home with his wife suffered a broken ankle when a lorry’s load caught overhanging Christmas lights causing the pedestrian to be struck with a pole supporting the decorations.

The Christmas accident came to light at Cork District Court when the articulated lorry driver, Fergal Dineen of Old Street, Salbally, Limerick, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving without due car and attention at Main Street, Carrigaline, County Cork, on December 12 2018.

Inspector Margaret Murrell said the pedestrian was injured while walking on a footpath crossing a bridge over the Owenabue river when he was struck from behind with a steel pole.

Insp. Murrell said a piece of scrap from the back of the articulated truck got caught in Christmas lights.

“These were pulled by the truck. They pulled the Christmas lights and this pulled the pole which was made of tubular steel and this hit him."

The pedestrian suffered a fractured ankle. The only matter before the court was the summons against the lorry driver for driving without due care and attention.

Defence solicitor Vicky Buckley said the 39-year-old driver knew the area but that the decorative lights were new in the area at the time. 

She added that the lorry driver had an absolutely clean record. 

Judge Marian O’Leary said she would not impose a disqualification from driving in all the circumstances and she fined Fergal Dineen €500.