Garda killed in crash travelling home from duty

A garda sergeant died yesterday after crashing his car on his way home from work on a dual carriageway in Co Wicklow.

The death of the sergeant, named locally as Fergal McHugh, 49, brought to three the number of people who were killed on the country’s roads over the bank holiday weekend — half the number who died during the same weekend last year.

The sergeant, who was stationed in Arklow, became the 36th person to die on Irish roads so far this year when he crashed at around 8am yesterday at Kiladreenan, Newtownmountkennedy, on the northbound section of the N11 between exit 12 and exit 13.

Sgt McHugh was rushed to Loughlinstown Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

No other vehicle was involved in the accident.

Diversions were put in place for several hours as technical experts combed the scene for clues as to why the accident might have happened.

The road was reopened at around lunchtime.

The incident was reported to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission which is carrying out its own investigation.

Gardaí in Bray have appealed for anybody who witnessed the crash to contact them at 01 6665300.

Meanwhile, a motorcyclist was killed on St Patrick’s Day in Co Sligo.

John Lynagh, 32, from Culleens, died after he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed in the village of Easkey at around 2.30pm.

No other vehicles were involved and the road was closed for a number of hours while it was examined by garda forensic collision investigators.

A priest in his late 50s was killed on Friday when the car he was driving was in collision with a tractor towing a trailer on the M9 in Co Kilkenny.

Fr Edward Murphy, 58, originally from Ferrybank, Co Waterford, had served as a parish priest in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.

The Rosminian had been on his way to visit relatives in the South-East of the country when the accident happened.

A total of 29 people have died on Irish roads during the St Patrick’s Day bank holiday period over the past five years.