Miraculous escape for lorry driver who drove into sign placed on road

A drunken prank saw a lorry driver have a miraculous escape after his vehicle ploughed into a garage forecourt sign.

The metal sign was left dangerously in the middle of a busy road near a filling station in Castlefin.

The sign had been placed on its side meaning the driver did not see until it was too late.

Substantial damage was caused to the lorry but the driver managed to bring the vehicle under control.

Gardai launched an investigation into the incident and two men were identified by CCTV.

One of the men, 30-year-old Adam Gardiner, appeared before Letterkenny District Court.

He was charged with intentionally placing a metal sign where it could cause injury or damage at Liscooley, Castlefin, on August 28, 2020.

Gardiner, of Greenfields, Convoy was in court accompanied by his girlfriend.

The court was told that although it was an unidentified accomplice who had placed the metal sign on the road, it was Gardiner who had turned it sideways to make it more difficult for traffic to see.

Garda Sergeant Jim Collins said the lorry driver was unhurt but had a very lucky escape and substantial damage was caused to his vehicle.

He said the driver had only seen the sign in the middle of the road at the last minute and couldn't avoid the collision.

Gardiner had admitted his part in the debacle, the court was told.

Solicitor for the accused, Mr Michael Shiel, stressed that there were two people involved in causing the incident stressing it was not Gardiner who placed the sign on the road.

However, he had admitted to taking part in the incident.

Mr Shiel said his client had not come to Garda attention since 2020 and was now in a steady relationship with a woman and that they are expecting their first child.

He is now a pipelayer working in England and comes home every two weeks.

The solicitor said: "There was a lot of drink taken on the night and it was a stupid thing to have done and he is holding his hands up.

"He has not come to Garda attention since and Sergeant Collins is familiar with him. It was stupid and he has me to apologise to the court."

Mr Shiel said that given time he would be prepared to pay 50 per cent of the costs of the damage to the lorry.

Judge Éiteáin Cunningham asked Sergeant Collins if he had a figure on the cost of the damage to the lorry but the Garda said he did not have that information to hand.

"This was a very dangerous act and there could have been significant danger to the driver. It was confined to material damage to the vehicle but there could have had a more serious outcome," added Judge Cunningham.

She adjourned the case until July to get the cost of the damage to the lorry and to see if it was covered by insurance.