THERE WAS palpable grief and anger on the streets of Gorey, Co Wexford, yesterday after a 20-year-old woman was killed in a hit-and-run incident.
The young woman, who was named locally as Kelly Gregan from the Castletown area, was one of a total of five people who lost their lives on the Republic’s roads between Friday evening and the early hours of Sunday.
Locals said Ms Gregan had been out with friends at the nearby O2 nightclub, above the 64 bar in Gorey. Ms Gregan and a female friend were struck by a car that failed to stop at about 2.30am, minutes after they left the club.
Both women were rushed to Wexford General Hospital where Ms Gregan was declared dead. The other young woman sustained injuries which were not said to be life-threatening.
Gardaí said reports had been received of a vehicle being driven erratically in the town not long before the incident. However, the gardaí said a Garda car which was about 500 yards form the suspect vehicle at the time was not in pursuit. An investigation by the Garda Ombudsman office has been withdrawn, gardaí said.
As the crime scene was cleared away yesterday people came to lay flowers. Locals standing in doorways spoke of their anger.
One young woman who asked not to be named said Kelly had been a “tremendously popular” girl who had gone to school locally.
She said many school friends who were now living abroad were making plans to come home yesterday.
Outside a nearby pub a woman who said she had children of her own pointed to the flower bedecked traffic light and asked: “how would you feel if you lost your daughter to that?”.
Gardaí later removed a vehicle which was found burnt out about a mile and a half southwest of the town, in the Kilnahue Lane area.
Sargent Maria Lernihan of Gorey Garda station appealed for anyone who may have seen a vehicle driving erratically in the town in the early hours of Sunday morning to make contact with the local gardaí.
In Co Carlow, gardaí are also appealing for witnesses to a fatal crash, shortly after 7am on Saturday in which a man in his sixties died. Gardaí said they would particularly like to talk to a man in a dark tracksuit, who was walking or jogging in the area around the time of the crash.
The two-vehicle collision happened on the N9 at Killinane, Leighlinbridge. The victim was driving one of the cars. The female driver and a passenger in the other car were taken to St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny.
In Dublin, two men were killed in a single-vehicle crash at a wall on Ballygall Road East, Glasnevin, at around 7am yesterday. Any witnesses to the collision are asked to contact gardaí at Ballymun on 01 6664400 or to on the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
Gardaí in Donegal Town are investigating a two-vehicle fatal road traffic collision that occurred on the Donegal bypass between the Tullyearl and Dromlonagher at approximately 4pm on Friday.
A man in his 60s, who was driving one of the cars, was fatally injured and pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger in his car and the driver and passenger of the second car were all taken to Letterkenny General Hospital with injuries described as not critical.
The deaths bring to some 173 the number of people killed on Ireland’s roads so far this year. The figures are about 18 below the corresponding number for last year.