The driver of a truck loaded with pigs which caused a lightweight bridge to collapse in spite of warning road signs about heavy loads was yesterday convicted of careless driving at Listowel District Court in Co Kerry.
David Patterson (49), of Screeby Road, Fivemiletown, Co Tyrone, was summonsed on a charge of dangerous driving.
When the case was called Patrick Mann, solicitor for Patterson, said there was a plea in the matter. However, he hoped the judge might consider a reduction to a lesser charge (of careless driving) after hearing the evidence.
After the evidence was outlined by Garda Noel McCarthy, Judge Mary O'Halloran said she would deal with the case on the circumstances outlined. She confirmed there were no previous convictions and convicted Patterson of careless driving under Section 52 of the Road Traffic Act.
The court had heard the driver from Co Tyrone had taken a wrong turn and was on his first trip to Kerry.
He was carrying 241 pigs in the articulated vehicle.
It took "an extensive rescue operation" to remove the trailers of the truck from the Brick river in north Kerry when the metal or Bailey bridge at Ballinagar collapsed, the court heard yesterday.
Garda McCarthy, of Lixnaw gardaí, told the court that Patterson had come from Co Tyrone to Causeway in north Kerry to collect pigs from a piggery for slaughter in Tyrone.
After loading the pigs he asked for directions and travelled on to the village of Lixnaw.
He took a wrong turn at the village and ended up down a narrow road.
The truck (weighing 45.3 tonnes) with the pigs on board passed two 12 tonne maximum weight restriction signs en route to the bridge.
One of the weight restriction signs was 50m from the bridge. The vehicle "was almost across the bridge when it collapsed" the garda said. The tractor, or hub part of the lorry, had made it to the other side.
It took an extensive operation to remove the rear of the lorry from the water.
Garda McCarthy agreed with Mr Mann that the articulated truck had no possibility of turning once it embarked on the narrow road. Mr Mann also put it to the garda that the accused had also taken directions from a farmer.
The judge, however, intervened to say that was hearsay and "this farmer is nowhere to be found".
Patterson co-operated with gardaí and made a detailed statement, the Garda witness confirmed. He felt he had no choice but to continue driving, Garda McCarthy agreed.
After hearing all the circumstances Judge O'Halloran agreed to reduce the charge to one of careless driving and convicted him on this. Patterson was also fined €300.