Truck driver (50) hospitalised after driving into Co Roscommon house

Sole occupant of the house at the time was not injured in the crash

A lorry crashed into a house  in Co Roscommon. Photograph: Gerry Faughnan
A lorry crashed into a house in Co Roscommon. Photograph: Gerry Faughnan

A truck driver in his 50s has been taken to hospital after driving into a house in Co Roscommon on Wednesday morning, resulting in a woman being trapped upstairs for a period.

The truck collided with a two-storey house at Grange More in Boyle at about 10.10am, resulting in extensive structural damage to the property, including the collapse of part of the front external wall.

A woman, who was the sole occupant of the house at the time, was not injured but became trapped upstairs after the truck breached the wall and became wedged under the living room ceiling.

She was later able to escape the property, a spokeswoman for the Roscommon Fire Service said.

READ MORE

Fire Brigade units from Boyle and Ballaghaderreen responded to the collision, alongside the National Ambulance Service and the Emergency Aeromedical Service helicopter from Custume Barracks in Athlone.

The truck driver, who was injured in the collision, became trapped in the vehicle until emergency services arrived.

Shoring equipment was used to maintain the stability of the partly collapsed house, and specialist cutting equipment was used to remove the injured driver from the truck.

He was brought to Sligo University Hospital by ambulance for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Local Fianna Fáil councillor Sean Moylan described it as a “lucky escape” for the woman, saying the couple living at the house feel “shook up and very nervous” following the collision.

“Thankfully, no one has been seriously injured. The area will rally around the people, and hopefully the house is recoverable,” he said, though he noted the collision caused “very bad damage” to the house.

Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses of the collision to come forward.

People on the R361 at Grange More between 9.45am and 10.15am with camera footage are asked to make this available to gardaí.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter

Jack White

Jack White

Jack White is a reporter for The Irish Times