AN ELDERLY man had a lucky escape when a car crashed through his front wall and into his home in the sixth such incident at the same location.
The latest crash occurred at about 8.20am yesterday when two cars collided head-on outside the home of 80-year-old retired farmer Martin McGuane on the main Ennis to Galway N18 road at Bunnahow, Tubber. One of the cars then left the road smashing through the front railing of the house before hitting the dwelling which stands close to a sweeping bend.
Mr McGuane had just finished his breakfast and heard the collision which was quickly followed by the impact on his home. He looked out the window to see a black Volkswagen Golf overturned and blocking his front door. The young driver was trapped inside the vehicle with serious injuries while the driver of the second car, a green Toyota Avensis, was also badly hurt.
Fire crews from Gort and Loughrea had to use specialist cutting equipment to free the casualties from their vehicles. One man was taken to Ennis General Hospital for treatment while the second driver, also a male, was taken to University Hospital Galway. Both men suffered serious injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.
“This is the sixth time in the past 10 years that my front wall has been demolished. There have been a lot of accidents on the road right here but cars have crashed into my garden six times now. It’s a bad stretch and apart from widening the road a bit a few years ago, the council won’t do a thing for us,” Mr McGuane said.