This article is from page 14 of the 2009-09-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
GARDAI are reminding drivers to respect speed limits and road mark- ings after a spate of “replica” acci- dents were observed at the Captain Mac’s cross junction in Ennis.
At least four major collisions have occurred in the area, along with a high number of smaller less serious
accidents, according to one local businessman.
Shop manager David Crimmins said the junction has been the scene of a high number of collisions be- tween cars travelling to and from the town centre.
‘The incidents are always the same. Cars coming past Flannan’s (College) and go to make a right turn down to-
wards the bus station and cars going out the Clare road, from Ennis, crash into them. They’re all replica acci- dents,” explained Mr Crimmins.
He added, “They’re almost identi- cal, all the crashes. It’s spooky how similar they are. They nearly all hap- pen at the exact same spot on the road. They end up in the same spot afterwards. You could nearly take
out a measuring tape and measure out where it happens.”
Mr Crimmins, manager of a Londis shop located at Captain Mac’s cross, said the incidents involved local drivers and tourists passing through the town.
He said that on one occasion in July, a major incident was narrowly averted when a car almost crashed into a petrol pump located in the ga- rage forecourt.
‘There was one where one of the cars actually came into the garage. It came in about 100 yards off the road. I was sitting in the office and I heard this great bang.
He continued, “There have been four major ones in the last 12 months, but they would be the big ones. But there have been a lot of smaller, sim- ilar-type incidents. You would just hope that people would be a bit more aware. You would hate to see some- one get seriously hurt.”
Gardai in Ennis say that while they are unaware of any high incidence of accidents at the junction, they would remind drivers to observe speed lim- its and respect road markings.
‘At very busy junctions, you expect maybe more accidents but other than that, we are not aware of it. We would encourage all motorists to respect speed limits and road markings,” a spokesperson said.
He added that anyone with con- cerns should contact gardai. “If peo- ple want to send in submissions on the matter, that it is something we would welcome and consider.”