Forensic Science Ireland has said that tachograph information tracing the journey of a truck from Donegal to Clonmel assisted in the driver entering a guilty plea following a fatal road collision.
A 25-year-old man was killed on the 27th of March, 2024 near Newtown, Roscommon, when the car he was in collided with a truck on the N61.
In FSI’s annual report for 2024, it is outlined that, following a Garda appeal and investigation, a Scania articulated truck was suspected of being involved in the incident. The tachograph data from the truck was downloaded and examined by the Chemistry team at Forensic Science Ireland.
The data from the tachograph correlated with a journey described by the truck driver through Donegal, Antrim, Louth, Limerick, and Clonmel. However, forensic analysis of the tachograph data showed that two cards had been used during this journey.
In addition, the scientist was able to demonstrate that the card belonging to the truck driver was not in use at the time of the incident and had been changed shortly after the collision occurred.
On the basis of this evidence, in February 2025, the driver of the Scania lorry entered a guilty plea before the court, having been charged with the offence of dangerous driving causing death.
