Teenage girl narrowly escapes horror car crash

The distraught mother of a teenage girl who had lucky escape after a car ploughed through the driveway of their family home on the N52 near Balrath Cross, Kells just minutes after returning in from outside says it’s a miracle her daughter was not killed.

The horrendous accident happened out Hannah Walsh’s home in Calliaghstown last Friday when a car lost control and crashed into the pier of their house.

Hannah’s thirteen-year-old daughter Molly had just returned from checking the letterbox outside the gate just missing the horrific incident by minutes.

It understood that the driver of the car that was written off sustained serious injuries including a broken back in the incident and was lucky to escape with his life.

It is the second time in six months that a car smashed into the front of Hannah’s house on the treacherous stretch of road.

In December, a similar incident occurred when a car crashed into her pier and veered off the road into a neighbour’s ditch. The driver was not seriously injured and there were no other casualties.

The community living on a stretch of road on the N52 from the M3 roundabout to Balrath Cross say they been campaigning for traffic calming measures and a footpath for 60 years.

It follows a number of serious and fatal accidents over the past few years including the death of Duleek man Christopher Bell in a motorcycle accident at nearby Balrath cross in May of last year.

Hannah Walsh also mum to Mia (10) admits being ‘shaken’ by the incident that could have been a tragedy if it had occurred just a short time earlier.

“My child-minder was at home with my two girls when I was working and they heard a big bang outside and by the time they came out, the neighbour had called the ambulance and fire brigade and the paramedics were there within a few minutes.

“Molly had been outside just fifteen minutes before hand to check the post box because she was expecting a card from her aunt.

“It’s scary because if it had been just a few minutes earlier she would have been a goner, she would have been killed.

“The car took our fence out and hit the piers and the wall, we had six inch blocks on the piers that were quite heavy and with the impact part of the pier went up the road and he found bits of the fence further down the garden.

“It caused a fair bit of destruction.

“We also have big metal iron gates and one of them went flying as well and it’s all twisted.

“It’s the second time it has happened outside our house in six months.

“We have been pushing for a footpath and some kind of safety for the road for years. I can’t let the girls walk the road on their own.

“You are too scared to go outside the gate of your own home.”

Daire Shields, chairperson of The Balrath Residents Association says action needs to be taken before someone is killed.

“The association has submitted a petition signed by every resident from each occupied residence between The Rhine and M3 roundabout to Meath County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

“It was the beginning of May 2019 that the councilors voted to have a design submitted to the TII for traffic calming measures that included a footpath traffic islands and signage.

“Not so much as a sign post has gone up in this whole time since.

“We are angry and nothing will be done until someone is killed because then it might go up the priority list.”

“Following the traffic survey carried out last year, we are all aware that there is a major speeding issue at this location, with an average 700 vehicles every day travelling at greater than 84km/h through our community, which has a legal speed limit of 60km/h.

“We are all aware that traffic calming measures and pedestrian facilities are justified and desperately required.

“What is it going to take for this situation to be taken seriously?”

Councillor for Kells Municipal District Sarah Reilly said:

“Hannah Walsh’s account of what happened is absolutely chilling, to think that her child was only out at the letterbox fifteen minutes prior to the accident taking place and the horrifying situation that could have unfolded if it has been a few minutes later is just doesn’t bear thinking about.

“The accident is just further evidence of the desperate need for safety improvement measures to be installed quickly. “