Gardaí continue probe into fatal five-lorry accident

GARDAÍ were yesterday waiting to interview three lorry drivers who were seriously injured in a horrific accident which claimed the life of a 34-year-old Polish man.

Slawomir Siwonia, a married father-of-one from Thurles, Co Tipperary, died after the truck he was driving went out of control and crashed into four other lorries on the main Cork-Dublin road on Thursday morning.

The accident occurred two miles north of Fermoy, near the Corbett Court Hotel at 6.50am.

The road was closed off until 11.45pm on Thursday, leading to traffic mayhem as motorists were diverted along narrow country roads.

Drivers who were not used to the roads around Glanworth, Kilworth and Ballyhooley, which were used as diversions, were involved in several minor accidents. A lorry also jackknifed, which further compounded the chaos.

A post mortem on Mr Siwonie was carried out at Cork University Hospital yesterday morning by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster.

The five lorries which were involved in the crash near Corbett Court Hotel were taken to various garda stations in the Cork North Garda Division where they were being technically examined yesterday.

The man leading the investigation, Superintendent Con Cadogan, said that many motorists who listened to radio bulletins had chosen to divert via Mallow and Waterford, which had helped ease chronic gridlock in the Fermoy area.

“That took the pressure off us. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the public for their patience and also to sympathise with Mr Siwonia’s family,” Supt Cadogan said.

He said he was forced to bring in a number of off-duty gardaí to help with the operation. “At any one time 20 gardaí were on point duty redirecting traffic,” he added.

Dozens of county council workers and fire brigade personnel worked flat out to clean debris off the road.

“There was a lot of oil and diesel on the road. Some of the diesel tanks were blown off the lorries and the road had to be washed down to make it safe to use again,” Supt Cadogan said.

While gardaí have already talked to some witnesses they are anxious to speak to people who saw the accident but who haven’t yet come forward. They are asked to contact Fermoy garda station at 025-82100.

Meanwhile, in a separate accident yesterday morning a truck hit a barrier and destroyed an unmanned toll booth on the West Link. Nobody was injured and traffic disruption was kept to a minimum.