Gardaí are hoping the offer of a five-figure sum by the Crimestoppers Helpline will help them track down a hit-and-run motorist who did an illegal U-turn on a busy road and killed a 20-year-old motorcycle passenger over a year ago.
Damian Murray was fatally injured and his friend, motorcyclist Mr John Cronin was seriously injured when they were hit by a red Volkswagen Golf when the car driver did an illegal U-turn on the South Link Road in Cork on April 9th, 2003.
Mr Cronin was about to overtake on the outside lane when the motorist unexpectedly pulled across and crashed into the motorcycle before driving away.
Both men were rushed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital, but Mr Murray from Glencurrig Park on the South Douglas Road in Cork was pronounced dead on arrival. Mr Cronin, from Rochestown in Cork, was in a coma for 14 days.
Now, Crimestoppers Helpline has put up a five-figure sum for information which will lead to the prosecution and conviction of whoever was responsible for the fatal accident and Sgt David Treacy of Douglas Garda station in Cork is hoping it may help them find the culprit.
"It's a substantial sum of money and the way that Crimestoppers work is that somebody can ring in with their information and they get a pin number. If their information leads to a successful prosecution, they can then use that pin number to access the money at an ATM.
"We're hoping it may prompt someone who knows something about this accident to come forward with information about who was driving the car." Anyone who wishes to give information to Crimestoppers can do so by calling 1800-250025, or if they wish to speak directly to the gardaí involved in the investigation, they can contact them at Douglas Garda station on 021-4891115 or Togher Garda station on 021-4947120.