Driving ban for lorry driver who crashed through garden

A lorry driver who ploughed through a family's garden and missed hitting their family home by inches after ‘dozing off’ behind the wheel has been put off the road for two years.

Arturas Plutusevicius's lorry crashed through the garden of a local family at Killyverry, Newtwoncunningham on the morning of January 3rd, 2022.

The articulated lorry careered through a garden gate, across a lawn but came to a standstill juts inches from the front wall of the house.

Plutusevicius appeared at Letterkenny District Court charged with dangerous driving.

The court that nobody was injured following the incident but the driver had been taken to Letterkenny University Hospital to be examined.

The 46-year-old accused was charged with dangerous driving over the incident which happened at 6.45am on January 3, 2022.

Solicitor for the accused, Ms Donna Crampsie, said there had been a momentary lapse of concentration and that Plutusevicius  had dozed off at the wheel.

The lorry had crossed the road and careered into the front garden of the home.

She said there had been no damage caused to the house but a garden gate had been damaged but that had been remedied since.

Ms Crampsie added that her client was very remorseful over the incident.

Her client had been off for two days before the incident and worked unsociable hours adding that it took him some time to get back into his flow.

She added that there had been no issue with the tachograph on the lorry.

Plutusevicius, of Blackthorn Lodge, Balbriggan, County Dublin, was accompanied to court by his employer.

Responding, Judge Eiteain Cunningham said it was the fact that the accused came back tired after two days off work which concerned her.

“Days off are to recuperate,” Judge Cunningham said.

She added that she had ben asked to consider reducing the charge to Section 52, one of careless driving.

However, she added that the court was not in a position to consider this considering the circumstances.

The court was told that Plutusevicius was a married man with three children who had been in Ireland for ten years and had spent the past six years working for his current employer.

Judge Cunningham fined the accused €250 and disqualified him from driving for two years.

The disqualification was postponed until January 1st, 2024 and recognisances were set in the event of an appeal.