Gardaí appeal for care as roads claim more lives

Tragedy has struck two Clones families in recent days as a result of road traffic accidents. A student of Largy College, Clones, 17-year-old Daniel Douglas, Lisarearke, Scotshouse, died in Cavan General Hospital on Saturday from injuries he received in a two-vehicle collision on the Scotshouse to Clones road at Kilcumber about two miles from Clones on Tuesday morning. Daniel was driving to school when his car and van collided at about 8.50am. The road in question is noted for its many bends and traffic use has increased in recent years due to the build-up of houses in Scotshouse and throughout the area between the village and Clones. Gardaí, ambulance service and Clones Fire Brigade were called to the scene and extricated the deceased from the vehicle prior to his removal to hospital. The wider Douglas family have a long association with football in the Clones area, particularly soccer, and one member, Jonathan Douglas, is in the course of a successful professional career having already distinguished himself in the Premiership and on the Ireland team. The second Clones man to die as a result of a road accident was Gerard Finn from Cherry Park. In his early 30s, Mr Finn died when the car he was driving collided with a wall on the Ballyhaunis to Claremorris road at about 9pm on Saturday. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle and no one else was injured. He was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was taken to Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar. Gardaí are appealing for witnesses in respect of this accident. Both Daniel Douglas and Gerard Finn will be laid to rest in Clones today, Wednesday, after requiem Masses in Sacred Heart Church. A two-car collision at Derrynacrieve on the Ballyconnell to Swanlinbar road about two miles from Swanlinbar resulted in the death of a 30-year-old married man with a British address. He was Mr. Paul McAveety with an address in Kent. He was one of five people travelling in one of the cars involved in the accident, which occurred at 3.30am on Sunday. He was a front seat passenger in the vehicle. The four injured, two male and two female, were conveyed to hospital in Enniskillen with some of them later conveyed to Altnagelvin hospital in Derry. The occupant of the other car was uninjured. Gardaí are also appealing for witnesses to this accident. While not from the Swanlinbar area, the deceased man is understood to have relations in the area. The Swanlinbar accident is the second fatality on the roads in this part of the county within the last fortnight. Gardaí again appeal to people to drive with care and warn that every impact involving cars presents a high risk of serious injury and death.