Pedestrian killed in St Stephen’s night horror
A MAN was killed in a St Stephen’s night tragedy as he walked home from a pub.
Tragic dad-of-three Mattie Gray, 62, was struck by a car in the Cleenrath area of Aughnacliffe in Co Longford at 7pm on Wednesday.
Neither the driver – a woman aged 44 – nor her children, who were passengers, were injured.
The victim’s body was taken to Tullamore Regional Hospital in Offaly after the crash, where a postmortem was due to take place.
Mr Gray was a local contractor and a prominent member of the community.
Frank Kilbride, a longtime friend and former Fine Gael councillor in Aughnacliffe, paid a heartfelt tribute last night.
He said: “He was a very witty gentleman and whether he was in the pub or a restaurant or whatever, he’d have something witty to say to you.
PRAISE
“I have nothing but the height of praise for him.”
Meanwhile, more than 400 drivers were caught speeding on St Stephen’s Day.
The findings were revealed after gardai confirmed 10 people suspected of drink-driving were arrested on Christmas Day and a further 12 in the early hours of St Stephen’s Day.
And some of those drivers face a four-year driving ban after declining to provide a breath sample.
Transport Minister Shane Ross told RTE News: “Sadly some drivers continue to take high risks with alcohol over Christmas.
“I want to congratulate the gardai for their energetic efforts to enforce the rules over the holiday period.”