Dutch man in court over death of teacher in head-on collision

A Dutch man was due to be brought before a special sitting of Waterford district court last night in relation to the death of a 45-year-old teacher in a head-on collision.

The victim of the crash was Alice Strain, from Ballymacmague outside Dungarvan in Co Waterford, who was killed when the car in which she was a passenger collided with a van on the N25 at Ballyduff, near Kilmeaden.

The driver of the van, who is in his 40s, was due before the court last night. He was questioned at Waterford Garda station yesterday under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

The incident happened at about 11.40pm on Thursday when Ms Strain was travelling with her boyfriend, Pat Crowley, who works as a photographer in Dungarvan. She sustained serious injuries and was pronounced dead at Waterford Regional Hospital. Mr Crowley was treated for injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.

The driver of the van, which had a non-Irish, European number plate, was also treated at the scene of the crash after suffering minor injuries.

The youngest of four sisters, Alice Strain worked as a teacher at the Presentation Secondary School in Clonmel. She was originally from Ballymacmague, near Colligan on the Clonmel road out of Dungarvan, and was a regular reader at Mass in the local St Mary’s Parish Church.

“You couldn’t meet two nicer people,” local councillor Damien Geoghegan said last night.

“It’s just very, very sad.”

The road where the crash happened was closed overnight on Thursday and for several hours yesterday while investigators carried out a detailed examination of the scene.

Anyone with information has been asked to contact gardaí in Waterford on 051 305 300.