One man has been taken to hospital as a precaution following a road traffic collision in West Clare this morning.
The incident occurred at around 9am in the village of Connolly and involved a car and a waste collection lorry.
National Ambulance Service paramedics and gardaí responded to the incident and requested additional assistance from the fire brigade. Units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Ennis station were mobilised to the scene.
It’s understood that the lorry crew had been collecting bins in the village when their vehicle was struck from behind by a car travelling towards Ennis.
There were two staff and a driver working on the vehicle at the time. It’s understood that workers were collecting local bins when the incident occurred and were not standing at the back of the truck at the time. They are said to have had a lucky escape.
The driver of the car managed to get out of his vehicle and appeared not to have been seriously injured. He was assessed at the scene by ambulance personnel including an advanced paramedic who attended in a rapid response vehicle. The man was transported to hospital as a precautionary measure.
The waste collection workers were uninjured. Company staff arrived at the scene to check on the welfare of their workers and to coordinate the removal of the truck.
Gardaí are investigating the circumstances of the collision. However, it’s understood that glare from the rising sun may have been a factor.
While the main R474 road was closed for a time to ensure emergency services could operate safety at the scene, one lane was later reopened to traffic. Fire service personnel implemented an emergency traffic management plan using a stop/go system.
Both vehicles were recovered from the scene and the road reopened at 11.20am once debris and engine fluid had been cleared from the roadway.
