A man has been killed in a Co Limerick car crash just hours before he was due to get married.
The deceased, Myles "Miley" Harty (20), from Askeaton, Co Limerick, died when the car in which he was a front-seat passenger left the road and hit a pole at about 1am, at Cragmore, on the Askeaton to Rathkeale road.
A teenager, who gardaí believe was driving the car, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of committing an offence under the Road Traffic Act.
A third man, who was a rear seat passenger in the car – a silver Skoda hatchback – was taken by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick with what gardaí said were “non life-threatening” injuries.
Mr Harty was due to get married to Kate Quilligan at St Munchin’s Church in Limerick city on Saturday afternoon.
Ms Quilligan, from from High Road, Thomondgate, was supported by hundreds of family and friends, including those who should have been celebrating the couple’s wedding, as they mourned outside the church.
A sound system played music and songs while many wept outside the church.
Dozens of blue heart-shaped balloons which read “King For A Day” and “20”, were released into the sky above the church grounds.
Askeaton parish priest Fr Seán Ó Longaigh said Mr Harty was well-known in his rural west Limerick community.
“It’s very sad for the families. They are now switching from a wedding to a funeral; our thoughts and prayers are with the family. Myles was a young person who grew up locally, he went to the local school, he’d have an awful lot of relations around Askeaton.”
Dash-cam footage
Gardaí are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal single-vehicle collision and have appealed for witnesses and any dash-cam footage from other vehicles that were traveling along the R518 Askeaton to Rathkeale route about the time of the collision.
A Garda spokesman said: “Gardaí are investigating a fatal single-vehicle road traffic collision which occurred on the R518 Askeaton to Rathkeale Road . . . A male passenger (20s) in the vehicle was pronounced deceased at the scene and has been removed to University Hospital Limerick for postmortem, another male passenger (20s) was taken to UHL to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.
“The driver of the vehicle (late teens) was arrested at the scene and conveyed to Henry Street Garda station where he is detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.
“The road is currently closed and forensic collision investigators are conducting a technical examination of the scene. Local diversions are in place.”