Breaking: Trial into bus collision that killed two Waterford teenagers on e-scooter commences
Gilbert Collins and Avuzwa Idris
A bus driver charged with dangerous driving causing the deaths of two teenagers in Waterford city has pleaded not guilty.
The collision occurred on the Cork Road in Waterford city at approximately 2am on June 27, 2024.
Gilbert Collins (15) and Avuzwa Idris (17) were both riding on a single e-scooter that morning, when a bus driven by Adrian Doyle (43) collided with them.
A jury has been empanelled to try Mr Doyle, who has an address at Ard Glas, Abbey Road, Ferrybank, Co Waterford.
The trial commenced on Tuesday afternoon with garda members who attended the scene on the morning of the collision presenting evidence to the jury.
At approximately 2am, on June 27, 2024, Adrian Doyle was driving a JJ Kavanagh & Sons bus on the Cork Road towards Waterford city centre.
He was the sole occupant of the bus at the time, and was on route to his first pickup of the night at South East Technological University.
A single e-scooter, driven by Avuzwa Idris, with Gilbert Collins a passenger, was travelling in the same direction and on the same side of the road as the bus.
The boys were travelling from Snap Fitness, a gym located close to the scene where they had been earlier that morning.
1.3 seconds before the collision, both the bus and the e-scooter veered right, towards the middle line of the road.
Upon impact, the bus was travelling 77km/h in a 50km/h zone.
Doyle said he did not see the e-scooter prior to the collision and did not have any time to react.
Gardai on patrol in the city and stationed at Waterford Garda Station were called to the scene.
They observed considerable damage to the windscreen of the bus. The undercarriage was also damaged, consistent with the vehicle driving over the e-scooter after the impact.
There was debris and items of clothing strewn across the road. The main stem of the e-scooter was snapped off. The scooter was found 41 metres from the area of impact.
Gilbert Collins was found deceased on the road.
Avuzwa Idris was found face down on a grass verge near a footpath. He was unresponsive and was transferred by ambulance to University Hospital Waterford. He did not survive his injuries.
Gardai who interacted with Adrian Doyle on the roadside said that he was in a highly distressed state and was very animated.
A drugs and alcohol test was administered at the scene, with negative results.
Garda Maurice Mahon, a forensic collision investigator, said weather conditions were dry that morning, and the road was in very good condition.
He said, however, that he believed streetlighting on the road was poor.
He indicated that the e-scooter had no rear lights. Both of the boys were dressed in dark clothing.
There was no evidence of the bus braking prior to the collision.
Doyle said to gardaí that he pressed the brake, but it didn’t work. He said he pressed it again after the collision had already occurred.
During the investigation, gardaí analysed CCTV footage along the route, as well as dashcam footage from inside the bus, which shows the moment of the collision.
So far, images taken by gardaí at the scene, as well as aerial drone images and maps, have been provided to the jury as evidence.
The trial continues.
