HGV operator held in Kerry after roadside narcotics screening comes back positive

A lorry operator was taken into custody in County Kerry after officers spotted a reckless passing attempt and a subsequent roadside narcotics screening indicated substance use.

HGV operator held in Kerry after roadside narcotics screening comes back positive

A lorry operator was taken into custody in County Kerry after officers spotted a reckless passing attempt and a subsequent roadside narcotics screening indicated substance use.

Personnel from the Kerry Road Policing Unit were carrying out patrols during sweltering heat when they noticed a white heavy goods vehicle pulling a risky overtaking stunt that nearly led to a crash. They intercepted the vehicle and decided to run an on-the-spot drug screening, which came back positive.

In a statement shared online, Kerry gardaí explained that the operator was detained after being seen "overtaking dangerously and almost causing a collision," and that the follow-up test confirmed drug presence. Cork Beo noted that the individual now faces a dangerous driving charge and will be brought before a judge shortly. A blood draw has been sent off for detailed toxicology work.

Irish legislation treats driving under the influence of controlled substances with the same severity as alcohol-impaired driving. A guilty finding typically triggers a mandatory disqualification, monetary penalties, and possible jail time — consequences that would almost certainly end the defendant's career behind the wheel.

The case comes as fatalities on Irish roads have climbed steeply over the past 24 months, wiping out more than ten years of mostly steady declines in deaths and serious injuries nationwide, Cork Beo reports.

Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)