The teenage boy who died early yesterday in west Clare may have been lying on the roadside when a passing car drove over him.
The driver of the vehicle stopped and returned to the scene where she found the 15-year-old boy partially lying in the ditch. The alarm was raised at around 6.40am when the woman contacted gardaí and the ambulance service.
With instructions being relayed down the phone by ambulance controllers, the shaken woman performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the young man until ambulance paramedics arrived.
Gardaí from Kilrush along with ambulances from Kilrush and Ennis responded to the emergency call. The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.
He was named locally last night as Kevin Donnellan from Knock, Kilrush.
The body was later removed from the scene to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) while the office of the State Pathologist was informed. Assistant state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster travelled to UHL from Cork to carry out a post mortem examination last night.
Gardaí will await the results of the post mortem before they determine the course of their investigation. It’s hoped the autopsy will tell gardaí whether the victim died as a result of being struck by the vehicle or earlier in another way.
The road remained closed until last night while a technical examination was carried out.
The tragedy happened close to Killimer GAA Club a short distance from the village of Killimer and about 7kms from Kilrush. Gardaí are trying to determine whether the young man was on his way to meet friends who had been socialising in the area or if he was on his way home.
Investigating officers are also trying to establish whether the teen had been sleeping on the roadside of if he collapsed or fell before the tragedy occurred.
It was some time before investigating gardaí confirmed the young man’s identity and were able to contact his family to inform them of the tragedy. Its understood that a brother of the victim travelled to Galway with Gardaí to locate and inform another sibling of the incident.
One friend posted on Kevin’s Facebook page: “I just want to say Rest In Piece to my brother Kevin Donnellan. You helped me to get through a lot of stuff man you were always their [sic] for me we always had each other a backs. The great times we had together man and why why did Jesus take you. I cant believe it I love you R.I.P.”
Another pal said: “I lost a best friend today I’ve known my whole life. It’s such a shock that nobody wants to suffer from. We all love you Kevin. Love you man forever.”