Woman struck by ambulance dies

GOOD Samaritan Gloria Corrigan who died after being struck by an ambulance was yesterday described as a young woman who never thought twice about going to help someone in trouble.

“She was a very outgoing character who enjoyed life and enjoyed people and it would have been natural for her to reach out and try and help someone in trouble,” said Fr Cathal Deery, who will officiate at the 27-year-old’s funeral at St Patrick’s Church, Corracrin, Co Monaghan, tomorrow.

On Monday, the young woman, from Oriel Park, Emyvale, Co Monaghan, was taken off the ventilator machine that had been keeping her alive since early Sunday morning.

She had suffered serious head injuries as she was struck by the ambulance at Hackballscross on the main Dundalk-to-Castleblaney road.

Ms Corrigan and three friends were returning from a night out organised by the Emyvale GAA club when they came upon the single car accident. After pulling over, Ms Corrigan and friend, Gabriel McCormack, 43, from Emyvale, got out of the car to see if they could help the three people involved in the accident.

As they stood talking in the dark at the crash scene they were struck by the ambulance. It is understood that Mr McCormack is in hospital recovering from his injuries.

Fr Deery said Ms Corrigan’s widowed father, John, was devastated by his daughter’s death but wanted to thank staff at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, for the way they had looked after her.

Two passengers in the original crash were badly shaken but uninjured.

Ms Corrigan was a first cousin of Sinead Murphy, also from Emyvale, who represented Ulster in the Rose of Tralee festival in 1991.

Ms Murphy was killed in a car accident in Co Wicklow in 1993 and was just 21 years old at the time.