Man, 23, fatally injured as truck overturns

A 23-year-old man has died after the articulated truck he was driving overturned in West Cork yesterday.

The deceased, named locally as Paudie Kelly, from Newcestown, was fatally injured when the vehicle left the road.

He was pronounced dead at the scene and taken to Cork University Hospital where a post mortem is due to take place. Mr Kelly, a past pupil of St Brogan’s College in Bandon, worked as a machinery operator at Pat Kelly Haulage.

The accident occurred on the R586 at Murragh, Enniskean, Bandon, at approximately 3.10pm.

The road was closed to facilitate a Garda forensic investigation.

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to contact Bandon Garda Station on 023-8852200, The Garda Confidential Line 1800 666111 or any Garda Station.

Separately, a woman had a narrow escape after a truck reversed into her home in Rosary Place, Midleton, Co Cork.

The accident occurred just before 10am yesterday when the driver of an articulated truck was attempting to reverse down a narrow road to make a delivery of building materials to a construction site.

Kelly Corcoran was in the living room, her daughter, nine, and aunt were asleep, and her mother was in the kitchen.

“I heard a bang and thought it was a truck wheel hitting a kerb outside, or something like that,” she said. “I opened the door to go outside to investigate and saw that some slates had fallen down off the roof. I saw the truck reversing again but couldn’t get out to stop it. I shouted but the driver couldn’t hear me.”

Ms Corcoran said the driver got out of the cab and apologised, and asked if she was okay.

“He didn’t realise that he had hit the house twice,” she said.

“I was shaking like a leaf. My daughter could have been sitting in the corner chair in the living room, and a few more inches, and the wall could have gone in.”

Ms Corcoran’s landlord arrived within minutes and gardaí were called to the scene but they said it is now a matter for the individuals concerned. Ms Corcoran’s aunt and daughter slept through the whole incident.