Gardaí try to track passenger who ‘fled’ scene of fatal crash
GARDAÍ are trying to track down a passenger who may have left a crime scene after the car he was travelling in was involved in a fatal collision.
The tragedy occurred in the Bridgend area of Donegal shortly before midnight on Saturday.
The victim, named locally as Emmet McClelland who was aged in his late 20s, was living across the Border in Derry. It’s understood that he was walking home after celebrating the Christening of his baby son.
He died after being struck by a silver Opel Omega car that was traveling from the Derry direction towards Bridgend prior to the collision.
Mr McClelland was treated at the scene by uniformed gardaí.
They found the man unresponsive on the roadway, and gave first aid.
Mr McClelland was then transferred to Altnagelvin Area Hospital, but was pronounced dead a short time later. A second pedestrian, a man in his 20s, was not seriously injured.
In the aftermath of the collision, gardaí arrested the driver of the Northern Ireland-registered vehicle on suspicion of dangerous driving. The man, who is aged in his 30s, was being detained at Buncrana Garda Station.
Investigating officers were yesterday trying to track down another male who they believe was a passenger in the vehicle. A source said it is believed the person fled the vehicle on after the crash foot and gardaí are anxious to speak to him.
Meanwhile, a young man was airlifted to hospital by an air ambulance helicopter when the tractor he was driving hit a ditch yesterday. The man, who is aged in his 20s, suffered head injuries. The incident happened on the R515 Fairyfield to Kilmallock Road just outside Kilmallock, Co Limerick, shortly after 11am.
And, separately, two adults and a child are recovering in hospital following a collision between a bus and a car in Co Clare around 8pm last night.
Initial reports to the emergency services suggested that as many as 38 people might have been injured, sparking a massive response. The collision occurred in the southbound lanes of the M18 motorway between Clarecastle and Dromoland.
It is understood the car suffered a tyre blow-out and the bus then ploughed into the back of the car.
Two adults and a child, who were in the car, were hospitalised with “varying degrees of injury”.
On arrival at the scene, emergency crews found that all the passengers were still on the bus and appeared to be uninjured.