Car overturns in near fatal horror crash prompting urgent appeal for road safety measures

According to Laois Councillor Aisling Moran, the woman driving the car was “lucky” to survive the terrifying two car collision which happened on the road between Stradbally and Vicarstown.

“I’d say she is a very, very lucky woman that she wasn’t killed,” she told a meeting of Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District this week.

Explaining how the crash occurred she said: : “[The driver] indicated to turn right and there were two cars behind her. The guy in the second car went to overtake and ploughed into the side of her car. He could have killed her stone dead.”

“The overtaking car was turned over due to the force of the crash.”

The cllr has appealed for road safety measures such as a “no overtaking” sign and a continuous white line on the road as the road is not big enough to have a filter lane for residents driving into their homes.

She also called for the speed limit should be reduced from 100km p/h to 80km p/h as there are a number of houses along the road.

“I do think that, where we have a house, we must do something.”

Cllr Moran highlighted a similar issue at Simmons Mill and Ballickmoyler where a couple with a small child expressed their concern after two cars went into a ditch outside their home in separate incidents.

Area engineer Philip McVeigh agreed to examine all three locations to see what road safety measures could be taken.