Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Stephen Maguire

Irish dad killed in tragic Christmas night car crash in Co Donegal named locally

The man killed on Christmas night in Co Donegal has been named locally as Shaun Kelly.

Mr Kelly, who was in his early 30s, died after his Vauxhall Cavalier car crashed into a ditch and then rolled into a field at Glenfad, Porthall, Lifford.

The single-vehicle accident happened just before 12.30am on Thursday morning.

Mr Kelly, a father-of-two from Lifford, initially survived the crash and was rushed to Letterkenny University Hospital in a critical condition.

However, the victim, who had worked on oil rigs overseas, tragically passed away a short time later.

Gardai have launched a full investigation into the cause of the crash.

A person who lived close to the crash scene said "We heard two loud bangs but we thought it was cattle banging against the sheds.

"Myself and my wife went to bed and it was only this morning that we realised what had happened. It's a terrible thing to happen to some poor family, especially coming as it does at Christmas time."

Mr Kelly was the sixth person to die on Donegal roads so far this year.

A local Garda spokesman appealed for people to take extra care on the roads during the holiday period.

Letterkenny University Hospital (Google Maps)

He said "We are appealing to people to continue to be careful over the holiday period, a time of year when accidents are often prevalent.

"As always we would appeal to people to slow down, never to drink or take any drugs when driving and to always wear their seat belt.

"Christmas should be a happy time for families and we certainly don't want any more sadness because of any more tragedies on our roads."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.