A man involved in a road collision where a jet ski came off the back of his vehicle was detected driving while under the influence (DUI) of cannabis and cocaine, the District Court heard.
Luke Caplice (28) of Knockane, Ballylooby, Cahir, Tipperary, appeared before Judge John O’Leary at a sitting of Dungarvan District Court recently, where he was charged with dangerous driving, contrary to Section 53 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, and driving under the influence of drugs. He was produced in court from prison, where he is currently on remand for unrelated matters.
Sergeant Alan Hayes told the court that on 27 November 2024, Gardaí were called to the scene of a road traffic collision between two vehicles at Ballyneety Cross, on the N72 road.
The Sergeant said the driver of one of the vehicles, a pick-up truck with a jet ski on the back, attempted to overtake on the road, and then collided with an oncoming vehicle.
It was noted that the jet ski came off the back of the pick-up truck in the course of the collision. The accused, who was identified as the driver, subsequently tested positive for cannabis and cocaine when he was swabbed by Gardaí.
Sgt. Hayes added that the accused has six previous convictions, including a drug driving matter that occurred after this incident.
Acting for the defendant, solicitor Paddy Gordon said his client had been at Clonea Beach in Dungarvan that day, and was travelling home when the collision occurred.
Mr. Gordon added that the accused was pleading guilty to all charges, and had been ‘co-operative’ with Gardaí following the incident.
Judge O’Leary said that the accused was “lucky that he didn’t kill somebody” after ‘causing’ the incident and driving after consuming cannabis and cocaine. The Judge handed the accused a total fine of €1,500 and disqualified him from driving for four years for the dangerous driving and driving under the influence of cocaine charges.
The charge of driving under the influence of cannabis was taken into consideration.
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Robyn Power
