Businessman questioned after search for men who fled fatal crash
Following a 15-hour operation, mainly in hours of darkness, two men were arrested yesterday in Co Limerick.
One of the men arrested is reportedly well-known in business circles in Limerick.
A third person, who later arrived at the accident scene on Sunday night in which a Tipperary father died, was also arrested.
According to gardaí, two occupants of a vehicle involved in the crash at Ahabeg, Ballysimon, on the outskirts of Limerick,reportedly fled the scene.
As part of the investigation, gardaí yesterday visited a number of public houses in the area.
Following the all-night Garda searches, two men in their 30s were arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving causing death and were held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act at Roxboro Road Garda Station.
Aidan Lawless, aged 53, from Clonmel, died as aresult of injuries he received in the head-on crash which occurred on Sunday night.
His wife, Kathleen, is being treated at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital for her injuries.
The couple had been returning from Limerick after dropping off their daughter who is a student at UL.
Their Ford Mondeo,according to gardaí, was on its correct side of the road when a SUV ploughed into them.
Mr Lawless died after being taken to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital.
When gardaí got to the scene, there was no trace of two men who were seen emerging from the vehicle.
A huge search was immediately mounted by about 20 gardaí under Inspector Seamus Ruane from Roxboro Road station.
One Garda search party came on a man hiding in a ditch at 1.56am yesterday and, following a chase, he was arrested.
On receiving further information, Garda search teams visited houses in Castleconnell, Clonlara and Ardnacrusha yesterday.
Around 11am, a second man was arrested following a chase near Ardnacrusha. Both men are in their 30s.
A third man, who stopped at the scene of the crash at around 11pm on Sunday, was arrested on suspicion of withholding information. It is believed he is known to the two men who were in the vehicle and may have gone to the scene to pass on information on the Garda presence in the area.
A Garda spokesman said: “We are now trying to establish the movements of these men and the vehicle and where they were prior to the fatal collision.”
