Truck driver ‘should attend court in Britain’
Alan Digby-Cameron of Sandy, Bedfordshire yesterday issued an emotional plea to Tipperary lorry driver, Denis Ryan, to travel to England to give evidence about the accident.
His son Andrew, aged 27, died after being struck by Mr Ryan’s 40-tonne lorry while attempting to cross the M1 motorway on foot after a night out drinking in July last year.
Mr Ryan of Gortlandroe, Nenagh, Co Tipperary has subsequently failed on five separate occasions to show up for hearings at Stevenage Magistrates Court in relation to the death.
The 46-year-old driver is facing two charges of making false entries on his tachograph in July last year and four charges of not taking obligatory rest periods for long-distance drivers around the same date.
Mr Digby-Cameron has now called on the driver to travel to Britain for the next court hearing on October 6 and also to make himself available as a witness for the inquest into his son’s death.
“We have been in court each time and it has caused terrific torment for myself, my wife and my family to have the hearings adjourned repeatedly,” he remarked.
“It is ludicrous that we could be liable for a £4,000 fine for not attending an inquest and yet there appears to be no jurisdiction on the driver involved in a fatalaccident to appear,” said Mr Digby-Cameron.
Sources have confirmed that the British authorities have begun examining the process of seeking Mr Ryan’s extradition.
“I accept that my son should not have been on the motorway but the simple truth is that if Denis Ryan had taken proper rest periods, he would not have been there either and Andrew might not be dead,” said Mr Digby-Cameron.
“All I want it that there should be a proper investigation of what happened and anyone responsible for the incident should be held to account - no more and no less.”
