Locals in Charleville, Co Cork are calling for urgent safety measures to be put in place after two pensioners were knocked down and killed by lorries on the Main Street of the town over the last fortnight.
Cllr Ian Doyle said a relief road is urgently needed in a town which sees in the region of 15,000 vehicles pass through it every day.
In an interview with C103FM’s Cork Today Show, Cllr Doyle offered his condolences to the family of 72-year-old Margaret Lyons who lost her life yesterday afternoon after she was hit by a lorry on the Main Street in Charleville.
He also extended his sympathy to the loved ones of 82-year-old father of three Pat Galvin, who died in similar circumstances on the same street on April 28th.
Cllr Doyle claimed it is vital that existing pedestrian crossings in Charleville be upgraded with tabletop surfaces laid down to slow down traffic, similar to measures recently carried out in nearby Buttevant.
He told show host Patricia Messinger that the loss of life on the road in recent weeks was tragic. He thanked the emergency services and gardai for their prompt response following both tragedies.
“Could I, on behalf of the people of Charleville, and personally, offer sympathy to the Lyons family on the death of Margaret. And to Pat Galvin’s family. He died on the exact same spot only a fortnight ago also on the Main Street of Charleville.
"I would also like to compliment gardaí and the Fire Brigade and the first responders, doctors and the witnesses (who helped). It is a traumatic time for them. My heart goes out to everyone and I thank them for their service.”
Cllr Doyle describes traffic as being a “huge problem” in Charleville. “At the North (Committee Meeting of Cork County Council) yesterday morning I had a motion in that traffic-calming measures be improved urgently by Cork County Council on the N20 going through Charleville town.
"We have five pedestrian crossings on the Main Street in Charleville between the Southern and the Northern end. I was calling on Cork County Council to upgrade those pedestrian crossings, to put in table-top ramps on the crossings and reline those crossings.
"That was discussed. Little did I know that two hours later there would be another accident. There is an urgent need for the relief road which is in the current County Development Plan, and indeed the past one, to be put in place.
"Everything going to plan (the N20 motorway) will not happen for 15 or 20 years. What we need to do is to re energise the relief road for Charleville.”
Margaret Lyons was hit by a lorry at 3.45pm on Monday. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Forensic Collision investigators attended at the scene and the road was closed for a period. Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to the collision to come forward.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Mallow Garda station on 022-31450, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666 111 or any Garda station.
