A German au pair was killed instantly yesterday when hit by a lorry as she crossed a busy road pushing a buggy containing a one-year-old baby in Co Cork.
Miraculously, the baby was unharmed. She was pulled from underneath the vehicle by a passer-by.
It is understood the 20-year-old woman may have pushed the pram away to safety seconds before she was killed.
The incident occurred on Main Street, Carrigaline, Co Cork, shortly before 10 a.m.
The dead woman will not be named until her relatives have been informed.
Passers-by were shocked as they looked on helplessly as the lorry emerged from the nearby Carrigaline shopping centre and hit the young woman. Emergency services rushed to the scene, including local gardaí who are based just a few metres from where the incident happened, but there was little they could do.
The driver of the lorry was questioned by gardaí at the scene and treated for shock.
Motorist Ms Judy Coughlan was travelling in a car nearby and was one of the first on the scene.
Her brother-in-law, Mr Ahmed Pekinkus, who was travelling with her, jumped from the car and pulled the buggy from underneath the lorry. "I can't believe that the child was unharmed - it is a miracle," she said. "I'll never forget the smile on her face - she was perfect. It has made me see the important things in life."
The child was taken to a nearby shop, where she was cared for.
Mr David Collins, who works at a nearby supermarket, said locals were in deep shock. "It has left a terrible feeling of sadness all over Carrigaline," he said.
Emergency services staff brought the young woman's remains to Cork University Hospital. Gardaí removed the lorry for technical examination.