Action demanded after near fatal crash on Laois road

A woman was almost killed on the Stradbally Vicarstown road last week, a council meeting has heard. 

Measures are needed to reduce speeds along a road where the near fatal accident recently took place, Cllr Ashling Moran insisted.  

She said the collision occurred as the woman was heading home on the long stretch of road from Stradbally to Vicarstown. 

“She indicated to turn right and there was two cars behind her and the guy that was two cars back went to overtake, ploughed right into the side of her, could have killed her stone dead. I’d say she is a very, very lucky woman that she wasn’t killed,” said Cllr Moran. 

The meeting was told the overtaking car was turned over due to the force of the collision.  

“I went out and had a look at it. It is such a straight road it is hard to do much on, I think there is eight or nine houses out there... If we drop the speed zone before the houses, put in a single white line and put in a new speed zone after the houses,  go back to the 80. Or else go the whole way into Vicarstown, which would probably be a kilometre, maybe a bit over a kilometre,” she suggested to Senior Executive Engineer Philip McVeigh. 

Another possibility would be to install signage warning that there are houses ahead and to slow or exercise caution, said Cllr Moran. “I do think where we have a house we must do something,” Cllr Moran remarked.  

A similar situation exists at Simmons Mill she remarked. “The lady up there said to me one of these days somebody is going to be killed,” she recalled.   

Cllr Moran wasn’t blaming motorists for the collisions, she explained that, “it happens to the best of us. It’s just you think someone is a bit slow and you go to overtake them and bang, into the side of them.”

However, she said measures need to be taken to ensure the roads are safe. She suggested a filter lane to service the two houses at Simmons Mill. 

At another location in Ballickmoyler she talked to a couple who are concerned. Cllr Moran said “there has been two cars hit their ditch and they have a young child." We need to do something, she added.  

Senior Executive Engineer Phili McVeigh agreed to meet with Cllr Moran at the locations in order to see what measures could be taken.  He was speaking at the Graiguecullen Portarlington Municpal District meeting.