Woman struck by falling branch dies
The woman, who has not been named, is understood to be 57 years of age. Local residents said she was struck by the limb on O’Connell Avenue after it was hit by a passing truck.
It is believed an off-duty nurse offered assistance to the injured woman at the scene.
She was rushed to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital with what a Garda spokesman described as “serious injuries”.
It is understood she died at approximately 9.30pm last night.
The woman was walking towards the city centre near the Mount Convent at around 11am when the accident happened.
A rigid truck, also travelling inbound, hit the branch of an overhanging tree. The branch broke off and struck the woman on the footpath.
The roadway along O’Connell Avenue was closed off for several hours as Gardaí conducted an investigation of the scene.
A Garda spokesman said: “We are carrying out a full investigation. There is nothing to suggest the lorry did anything out of the way, but what happened appears to be a complete freak accident.”
Gardaí have appealed to anybody who may have been in the vicinity of the Mount Convent at around 11am to contact them at Roxboro Garda Station 061-214340.
