Man charged in connection with fatal Fermoy crash
Iulian Lotca. Picture: Denis Boyle
A man has been charged in connection with a two-car collision in which one man was killed and two other people were seriously injured.
Mallow District Court on Monday was told that various admissions have been made by Iulian Lotca, aged 38.
The Moldovan national has been in custody since the collision happened at around 8.20pm on Saturday at McCurtain Street in Fermoy, County Cork.
A Ukrainian man, Ihor Skokivsky, died in the incident. He was a backseat passenger in the black BMW that Mr Lotca was driving.
Mr Skokivsky, 29, had been taken to Cork University Hospital (CUH) in critical condition after the crash but he subsequently passed away.
A second passenger in the BMW has also been hospitalised. The driver of the other car, a woman in her 50s, was taken to CUH with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Mr Lotca was arrested at the scene of the collision and detained by gardaí under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, and subsequently charged in relation to the incident.
During his appearance at Mallow District Court in front of Judge Colm Roberts, the court heard he has been charged with dangerous driving causing death, driving while exceeding the legal alcohol limit, and driving without insurance.
The court heard that gardaí had objected to bail.
Detective Garda Denise Fitzgerald explained this was partly to do with the seriousness of the charges against him.
She also said Mr Lotca had previously left Ireland despite there being a bench warrant out for his arrest on a non-traffic related matter.
“Dangerous driving causing death is a serious offence,” she said, addressing the court.
“It is alleged he was driving at speed while under the influence of an intoxicant, exceeding the legal limit.
“By his own admission, Mr Lotca was driving in a reckless manner.
“There is CCTV footage available showing the BMW being driven in a dangerous manner, seconds before the collision.”
Detective Garda Denise Fitzgerald said there were also a number of eyewitnesses to the collision.
“They all describe Iulian Lotca driving in a dangerous manner, driving at high speed,” she added.
She said that during the course of an interview in Fermoy Garda Station, Mr Lotca “accepted he was driving the BMW” and made “full admissions”.
She also told the court that while he has been charged with three serious offences, “more charges may follow”.
She said: “He admitted his manner of driving was reckless, his speed was excessive, the manner of his driving was dangerous, and he was not insured to drive at the time.
“He further admitted consuming a quantity of alcohol.”
The detective told the court that it was the view of investigators that should he be granted bail, “he would abscond”.
Detective Garda Denise Fitzgerald said the reasoning for this was based on the fact that he has no partner or children in Ireland, although the court later heard he has a sister living in Cork.
Solicitor Daithí Ó Donnabháin, representing Mr Lotca’s, said his client is “very shocked” about what had happened and has “cooperated fully” with gardaí.
Judge Roberts said: “I totally accept he has to live with this terrible situation for having some involvement in the death of a friend for the rest of his life.
“But the State’s case in relation to seriousness, you don’t get more serious than being involved in the death of another person.
“The strength of the evidence is quite compelling and he has made significant admissions.”
He said that the State had made “a compelling case” against him being released on bail.
The matter is due back before the courts at a later date.
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