A man in his 80s who died following a crash in Co Westmeath on Wednesday has been named locally as Joe Marroquin, a resident of Texas in the United States.
Mr Marroquin and his wife Cathy Marroquin, who both have Irish heritage, had been visiting Ireland over the past month. They had been staying with family in the area and were on the way to the airport when the crash occurred on the R394 at Gartlandstown near Castlepollard at about 5.30am.
Mr Marroquin was pronounced dead at the scene, and his wife was taken to the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore in a critical condition. Two occupants of the second vehicle, men in their 20s and 30s, were taken to hospital to be treated for less serious injuries.
It was the second fatal crash in the area in the space of 24 hours. A car was found in a ditch just minutes away along the R395 at Teeveragh near Castlepollard at 6.30pm on Tuesday.
I went to the cinema to see Small Things Like These. By the time I emerged I had concluded the film was crap
Forêt restaurant review: A masterclass in French classic cooking in Dublin 4
‘I’m hoping at least one girl who is on the fence about reporting her violent boyfriend ... will read about my case’
What Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Greens promised in 2020 - and how much they delivered
Marcin Nowosielski (47), who had last been seen socialising in the area on Saturday night, was found in the driver’s seat of a Nissan Almera. He had been reported missing at the weekend by friends who became concerned for his welfare.
Originally from Poland, Mr Nowosielski, a factory worker, had been living in Ireland for 13 years. It is believed his car left the road some time on Sunday morning. Gardaí appealed to anyone with information about his movements to contact Mullingar Garda station.
In tributes on social media, Mr Nowosielski was described as a “much-loved friend” who “always had a smile on his face”.
A fundraiser set up to raise money to support his family in Częstochowa had raised more than €1,300 as of Thursday morning.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis