TERRIBLE LOSS
‘Another unspeakable tragedy’ for community as mum, 40s, & daughter, 8, killed in ‘horrific’ crash with lorry in Co Mayo
It comes just weeks after another crash in the area claimed the lives of a mum and her two daughters
A LOCAL community has been left devastated after a mum, aged in her 40s, and her eight-year-old daughter lost their lives in a horror crash yesterday.
The crash, which occurred shortly before 6pm on the N26 at Callow between Foxford and Swinford in Co Mayo yesterday, has been branded as "another unspeakable tragedy" to hit the area.
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It is understood that the mum and daughter are from the local central Co Mayo area.
The mum was driving the car when it collided with the lorry. The driver of the lorry was taken to hospital with injuries believed to be life-threatening and the woman and child were pronounced dead at the scene.
The bodies remained at the scene yesterday evening as a major emergency operation, involving paramedics, gardai and fire brigade personnel, took place.
The N26 was closed pending the completion of a garda forensic collision investigation of the crash scene which has been described by one local as “horrific”. The road has since reopened.
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Garda Superintendent Liam Geraghty told RTE that the weather conditions were good at the time of the crash.
However, the Supt confirmed that the stretch of road where the collision occurred has "a number of bends and is governed by double white lines".
Local Fianna Fail councillor John Caulfield told how the tragedy marks "another family absolutely destroyed".
Speaking to the Irish Independent, he said: "This is another unspeakable tragedy to happen here in Mayo and local to us here in the Swinford area. It's another family absolutely destroyed tonight.
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“It's hard to find words when horrific tragedies like this happen but all I can say is we are praying for the family of the young girl and her mother.
Three hearses leave the scene of Mayo crash between car & fuel tanker that killed two girls and mum
"We are praying for their family who have to try and cope with a loss so huge it is unimaginable."
Gardai are appealing for any witnesses of the smash to come forward.
A Garda spokesperson said: "Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling on the N26 between Swinford and Foxford between 5.00pm and 6.00pm on Tuesday evening are asked to make this footage available to Gardaí.
"Anyone with any information is asked to contact Ballina Garda Station on 096 20560, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station."
ANOTHER TRAGEDY IN MAYO
In March, a mum and two young daughters died in a head-on car crash in Mayo.
The smash was just a 30 minute drive away from where yesterdays tragedy took place.
Una Bowden, 47 and her daughters Ciara, 14 and Saoirse, 10, perished in the tragic collision on the N17 at Castlegar near Claremorris in Co Mayo at about 2pm on Tuesday, March 26.
The car was involved in a head-on crash with a fuel truck.
The trio were reported to have been travelling back home after meeting family in Donegal to Gortachalla, near Moycullen in Co Galway.
Husband and dad to the two girls, David Bowden, was working abroad as a project manager with the United Nations, on a humanitarian program out in Ethiopia.
He had to be informed of the tragedy and made a long journey home to bury his loved ones in early April.
ROAD DEATHS RISE NEAR 100
Gardai confirmed that, as of 9am this morning, some 93 people have been killed in road crashes across Ireland.
This is compared to a total of 85 road deaths during the same period in 2023.
Shortly before 7pm yesterday, just one hour after the woman and her child lost their lives in the Co Mayo crash, a man was killed after the car he was driving left the road and slammed into a ditch.
Gardai were alerted to the incident, which happened on the R395 at Teevrevagh, Castlepollard, Co Westmeath, at around 6.40pm.
The collision involved a single vehicle which had collided with a roadside ditch.
The male driver and sole occupant of the car, who was aged in his 50s, was pronounced dead at the scene.