The late Tom Connors
The scene of the fatal hit-and-run
By Sarah Slater
GARDAÍ in Carlow have issued an appeal following the death of a 35-year-old motorcyclist in a fatal hit-and-run traffic collision in Co Carlow.
Tom Connors of 2 Na Coilte, Bunclody died when the motorbike he was driving was in collision with a car at around 11pm on Wednesday of last week.
The occupants of the car failed to remain at the scene and their vehicle was found burnt out close to an area known as Sandbrook along the Ballon to Rathoe road.
Garda Superintendent Anthony Farrell at Carlow Garda Station explained that their extensive investigation is “continuing apace”.
Supt Farrell continued: “The focus of our efforts is still the Honda black motorcycle with registration number 03 WW. Just to acknowledge the public’s assistance in supporting the garda investigation so far, we are satisfied now that the motorbike was seen at 10.15pm on the Wexford Road (N80) and we are sure that motorbike continued to that accident location and either went through Graiguenaspidogue, Fighting Cocks or Ballon, driving its way back around to Sandbrook.
Supt Farrell has appealed that if any member of the public has information from that area “in terms of the pathway of the motorbike, we would really appreciate any assistance you can provide with dashcam footage or if anything was heard to contact us”.
The garda chief also revealed that the burnt-out car was a grey Passat with the registration “on the car at the time being 0HZ 7246. That vehicle was cited at the Ballykealey side of the county and was coming from the Carlow town side on that Wednesday night. Maybe members of the public have information on that vehicle. Perhaps it passed motorists or pedestrians, as we believe the car was driving at speed”.
Carlow gardaí can be contacted on 059 9136620.
The body of the father of two remained at the scene for several hours and the road was closed to allow for a full forensic and technical examination.
His remains were removed to University Hospital Waterford (UHW), where a post mortem was carried out.
The local coroner and the office of the state pathologist were notified. Gardaí said all circumstances of the incident are being investigated and a senior investigating officer (SIO) has been appointed, while an incident room has been established at Carlow Garda Station.
A local person who lives close to the collision scene explained that the road is “very dangerous and narrow and it would only be travelled on if a person knew it as a shortcut”.
Mr Connors had absconded after he was sentenced to three years for the unlawful taking of a vehicle and was approaching the end of his sentence from Loughan House open prison in Co Cavan when he left the facility on Saturday 20 April.
His funeral mass was held last Sunday and was followed by burial in Calgary Cemetery, Bunclody.
Officers are following a number of lines of inquiry around the circumstances of his death with one scenario being investigated being that he may have known those in the car his motorbike may have been in collision with.
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