Robert James Potts, aged 62, from Tarthlogue Road, Portadown, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court charged with driving without due care and attention. Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NorthernIrelandWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you. The court heard that on October 30 last year at 5.
30pm, police were tasked to Corcullentragh Rd, Portadown to deal with a road traffic collision. On arrival they saw a Range Rover crashed into a red shipping container sustaining ‘heavy frontal damage’. No one was found in the vehicle, nor were there keys and the driver’s door was open.
Advertisement Advertisement Extensive checks in the area and fields failed to locate the driver. A police systems check found the vehicle was owned and insured to the defendant. Checks on CCTV footage showed a male walking down the laneway towards Judge’s Yard and had not returned the same way.
“This is believed to be the defendant,” said the prosecutor. “Police seized the vehicle to have the air bags examined and this returned a positive match for the defendant,” said the prosecutor, adding that police then conducted an interview with the defendant on March 19 this year. He made a full admission to driving the vehicle at the time of the crash claiming that he hit ‘standing water’ and had been dazzled by a passing lorry.
He couldn’t provide information on the lorry. Advertisement Advertisement "He said he had been dazed and concussed an.