Van on its side and hotel check-in may be linked

Gardaí are investigating if there are any links between a van found on its side and a man discovered later in the bar of a hotel.

The alarm was raised after midnight yesterday when the van was found on the N18 Limerick to Shannon dual-carriageway.

The vehicle, with its lights on, was found on its side in the area between the slow lane of the N18 and the sliproad to Shannon town.

Three units of the fire brigade from Shannon, an ambulance from Limerick City, and local gardaí rushed to the scene. Rescue crews quickly searched the van but found nobody inside.

At the time, it was unclear if the driver was alone in the van. Concerned the driver may have been thrown from the vehicle, fire crews, and gardaí searched the area.

The slip road remained closed for more than two hours while searches were carried out.

Soon afterwards, the ambulance service received a call about a man who had checked into a local hotel and who was complaining of being injured in an accident earlier.

The man is believed to have checked into the hotel and gone to the residents’ bar for a drink before complaining of neck and shoulder injuries and requesting an ambulance.

Gardaí are investigating if the incidents are connected.