Miracle escape from car crash for elderly couple

An elderly couple had a miraculous escape when their car crashed through a bridge and plummeted into a river.

The couple were recovering from their ordeal in hospital yesterday. They are not believed to have sustained serious injury, but were badly shaken.

The dramatic collision happened in the centre of Boyle, Co Roscommon, at about 1.45pm when the Audi car collided with one side of the stone bridge, spun backwards and crashed through a pole on the opposite side of the road and went straight through the bridge and into the River Boyle below.

About 8 metres of stone and masonry were dislodged and went crashing into the river with the car.

A number of local men went to assist the couple and managed to reach them. One man held the woman passenger’s hand until the local fire brigade arrived to cut the couple out of the vehicle.

The level of the water was lower than normal, due to the recond spell of good weather and absence of rain.

Both were safely removed from the car before being transferred to Sligo Hospital.

Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council, Cllr John Cummins, said that the couple had an ‘amazing escape.’

“It seems that the car hit one side of the bridge, but went across the road, took the pole with them and went straight in through the other wall of the bridge.

“They were very lucky, because the level of the water would be much higher in winter.

“It was also very lucky that there were no cars parked there are there usually are., And nobody was walking by at the time”, said Cllr Cummins.