Child was sole occupant of the Nissan Qashqai involved in crash on N21 near Adare
A 12-year-old boy was killed when the car he was driving collided with a lorry in Co Limerick in the early hours of Friday.
The boy, who is believed to be from the Newcastle West area, was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision, at Rineroe near Adare.
The boy who was soon to celebrate his 13th birthday was driving a Nissan Qashqai.
A Garda spokesman said the fatal collision occurred “shortly before 2am” on the N21 at Rineroe near Adare. Emergency services were alerted after the incident.
The driver of the lorry, a man in his 40s, did not require hospital treatment. The boy was the sole occupant of the car.
His body was removed to the morgue at University Hospital Limerick and the coroner has been notified.
On Friday afternoon, the parish priest of Adare, Monsignor Dan Neenan, who said prayers at the scene of the fatal accident in which a 12 year old boy died, said the local community was in shock.
Fr Neenan said he had been called to the scene at 4am by gardaí and when he arrived the body of the boy was being taken from the car. “It was obvious he was dead so I said prayers,” Fr Neenan told RTÉ radio’s News at One.
The emergency services at the scene were wonderful and professional, he added. Fr Neenan remained at the scene until the parents of the boy arrived. “They were obviously so shocked and were incredibly dignified.”
The parents were given a few minutes alone with their son after which they spoke and prayed with Fr Neenan. When leaving the scene the boy’s mother spoke to and thanked all the emergency personnel for their services.
The scene was subsequently preserved for examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators.
Diversions were in place on Friday morning on the N21, with city-bound traffic being diverted from Adare via Croom.
Gardaí have appealed for any witnesses to the collision to come forward. Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling on the N21 near Adare at the time of the collision are asked to make this footage available to Gardaí.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Newcastle West Garda station on 069 20650, the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.