A County Wexford transport company has today, 25th February 2013, been fined €1m after pleading guilty to breaching health and safety legislation.
Nolan Transport Limited had pleaded guilty in December 2012 in respect of a 2007 incident in which two women were killed. One of the company’s trucks was being driven by Rafal Luszacki, who had only been employed by the company for nine days, when it lost its load of heavy metal coils leading to an accident in whichVanessa McGarry and Mary Lonergan died.
The load consisting of six large steel coils each weighing about five tonnes had not been properly secured.
In 2009 the driver was fined €1,500 and disqualified from driving for three years for his part in the accident.
Imposing a fine of €1 million Judge Raymond Fullam said the company was guilty of a gross dereliction in relation to its statutory duty to road users and there had been a flagrant disregard of safety.
The company has been given three years to pay the fine.