Suspected drug driver caught speeding on Easter Sunday faces fine and potential court date

A suspected drug driver who was caught speeding in Co. Leitrim on Easter Sunday is potentially facing prosecution before the courts, gardai have confirmed.

As part of a road safety operation which is running across the bank holiday weekend, gardai say they stopped a car which was observed travelling at high speed on the outskirts of Carrick on Shannon on Sunday afternoon.

Highlighting the incident on social media, a garda spokesperson confirmed that members of the Leitrim Roads Policing Unit were on patrol when they detected a vehicle which was travelling at 91km/h in a 50km/h zone.

"The driver was stopped and tested and found Positive for cocaine. The driver was arrested and a blood sample (was) obtained," they said.

Gardai say a fixed charge notice (fine) will be issued for the speeding offence and that a court date will follow if the analysis of the driver's sample confirms that they were driving under the influence of cocaine.

As of this Monday morning, three people have died in road crashes across the country this Easter weekend.

The garda road safety operation, which is supported by the Road Safety Authority and other State agencies, continues until 7am on Tuesday.