Street light hits car just after driver gets out

A Co Donegal man had a lucky escape when a 20ft steel street light came crashing down on his car.

Paul McHugh had parked his car in Convoy village to go into a local shop. Just minutes later, locals rushed in to tell him that his car had been wrecked by the falling street light.

The street lamp, which also had hanging floral baskets attached, had snapped in two. It smashed Mr McHugh’s back windscreen as well as damaging the boot and back of the car.

Mr McHugh said it was only by a stroke of luck that nobody was passing as it could have caused serious injury. He estimated that approximately €2,000 worth of damage was caused to his BMW car.

Local county councillor Liam Doherty (Sinn Féin) said this was the second lamp to come down of its own accord in recent years.

He said he had contacted Donegal County Council and asked it to examine the remaining three lamp-posts to see if they might be vulnerable. “I have contacted the engineer from Donegal County Council with regard to carrying out an examination of the remaining street lights in the area.” Mr Doherty agreed it was pure luck that someone was not hurt during the latest incident.