Brian McNulty pictured with the remains of his hedge and wall that were demolished when a lorry overturned and crashed through it on a notorious bend on the Sligo Road, Enniskillen.
AN EARLY MORNING lorry crash, which left hour-long tailbacks and a major road closed for almost nine hours, has been described as a “death waiting to happen”.
On Thursday morning last, September 18, at around 6am, a lorry overturned at a notorious crash spot on the Sligo Road in Enniskillen. The lorry, containing scrap cars not only blocked the road to traffic until just before 3pm, it also caused considerable damage to walls, lampposts and fences in the area.
Motorists were diverted by the Ashwoods Road, resulting in lengthy tailbacks on the Rossorry Church Road.
Brian McNulty, who lives just beside the accident site, explained this was the fifth time his property had been damaged as a result of a road traffic incident.
He told the Herald how he had been in bed, when he heard what he described as an, “explosion” outside his home.
“When I looked out of the window, all I could see was smoke from dust. I went down the avenue and I could see the man sitting on the footpath, the lorry driver, in a dazed condition.”
He continued:
“My wall is gone and my hedge is gone and there’s gouges cut out of my lawn. Some of the cars came into my garden and some of them into McVeighs next door.”
This is now the third time Brian’s wall has been destroyed as a result of an accident, with the last time coming just two years ago, leaving him out of pocket.
“The last time it was a bloody old taxi at 6am on a Sunday morning and I didn’t get down in time and he got away,” he explained.
Thankfully, on this occasion, the Sligo company who own the lorry have been in touch with Brian and they have given him their insurance details. When asked why this particular area was such a trouble spot, he was at a loss to explain.
“I don’t know, it’s that old corner, whatever it is about that corner, people just seem to hit their back wheel of it. When you come into it, it’s like a double apex, but I don’t know what happened the man on Thursday morning to tell you the truth.”
Another local resident, Raymond Maguire believes this particular stretch of road is “carnage waiting to happen”.
“This needs to be highlighted this corner, the amount of accidents on the corner is horrendous. How there hasn’t been some serious injury yet or worse there yet, I don’t know. The amount of vehicles that have lost control at the corner and hit walls is crazy.
“I have been living here for 27 years and it is unbelievable the amount of accidents.
“When I’m out walking at night, I always have to watch out for that corner. I have already contacted police for them to sit down with Road Service to see if something can be done. With people walking ,it is a death waiting to happen.”
One man aged 55 years-old was arrested for dangerous driving in relation to the incident. The man was subsequently released on police bail pending further enquiries.
Following the removal of the scrap metal, the Sligo Road was re-opened and traffic was able to flow freely.
A number of partner agencies were involved in the investigation and the subsequent re-opening of the road.
A police spokesman explained the delay in re-opening the road.
“The safety of motorists and the local community in the area was of paramount importance to police, so a full investigation was carried out.
“To decrease the risk of further injuries and potential road traffic collisions, the road was closed in both directions to facilitate the removal of the vehicle and its cargo.”
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