Forty secondary pupils narrowly escaped serious injury last night when a hole was ripped in their coach by a lorry as they returned to Co Mayo from a school outing to Newgrange, Co Meath. The lorry-driver left the scene of the accident.
About 19 of the students, who attend Moyne College, Ballina, and St College, Crossmolina, were ferried to Roscommon County Hospital in a fleet of Western Health Board ambulances. Most were suffering from facial cuts and bruising. A spokes woman for the Western Health Board said she expected most of the injured would be released from hospital after treatment.
An accident plan swung into operation following the collision between the coach and the lorry at 7.30 p.m. about three miles on the Tulsk side of Strokestown.
Less than an hour later, a lorry-driver was detained by gardai. He is expected to appear at a special court in Longford this morning. Mr Joe Foy, chief ambulance officer with the Western Health Board, said last night: "There have been many superficial injuries but thankfully nothing serious. We expect that nobody will need to be detained in hospital overnight. Our emergency plan worked very smoothly."
Those who were not injured by flying glass were brought by teachers to the Percy French Hotel in Strokestown where tea and sandwiches was provided as the group awaited a replacement bus from Ballina which was expected to arrive sometime before midnight.