This article is from page 16 of the 2012-05-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
CRANNY Cross on the main Kilrush to Ennis road was the scene of two separate road traffic accidents within three days, one of which has left a young West Clare man seriously injured, while the other involved a minibus which was carrying a group of special needs children.
A young man was seriously injured as a result of the first accident during the early hours of Thursday morning last.
The 24-year-old from Kilmurry McMahon man was the sole occupant of a car that crashed at approximately 5am.
The young driver was still in a critical but stable condition in the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick last evening (Monday).
Meanwhile, on Sunday afternoon, a van with a trailer attached collided with a minibus on the same part of the busy thoroughfare on the Kilrush to Ennis road.
It is believed that the trailer jackknifed on the road and crashed into the bus.
The minibus is understood to have been carrying a group of special needs children of varying ages at the time of the accident.
The injured were taken to hospitals in Ennis and Limerick.
The road was closed for almost three hours while a forensic examination was completed.
Weather conditions at the time of both accidents are not thought to be a factor.
As many as nine people were taken to hospital, and while no one was seriously injured, the driver of the bus had minor injuries which needed treatment.
Gardaí in Kilrush are investigating both accidents.