Gardai seek 'aggressive' driver who crashed into circus lorry on N26 in Mayo
A circus convoy negotiating the N26 in east Mayo was left badly shaken after a car zig-zagged aggressively in front of one of its lorries before crashing into a caravan being towed behind it — bursting two tyres.
The incident, which is being investigated by gardai, occurred after a number of vehicles belonging to Tom Duffy’s Circus passed through Foxford, en route to Maynooth, Co. Kildare, where they are currently performing.
In the wake of what she described as a “frightening experience” circus ringmaster Candice Duffy said: “It has echoes of the the weekend motorway crash on the M9 when five teenagers were killed and the passéngers in a second vehicle seriously injured.
“Blatantly dangerous and irresponsible driving is common not only on motorways but on rural roads right across the country.”
Circus ringmaster Candice Duffy, who was driving the lorry while towing the caravan which she uses as family living accommodation, has appealed to the public for information to track down the offending driver who, she says, could have caused death or serious injury.
“My young daughter, Charlotte was beside me in the passenger cab when this happened not long after we had left Foxford, heading towards Swinford.
“My husband, Tom, was ahead of me driving another lorry.
“Suddenly, a dark coloured car came towards us at breakneck speed. It was being driven erratically across both lanes, flashing its lights.
“Tom and I were crawling at this stage. We both pulled into the left.
“At the last minute the car tried to avoid Tom but then the driver lost control and continued to swerve towards me.
“There was a massive bang when the car hit the side of the trailer which we use for living accommodation.
“Both trailer tyres exploded.”
Ms. Duffy said said she got a glimpse of the car driver before he fled the scene down a side road describing him as a youngish white male with short black hair.
A mechanic employed by the circus troupe helped to change tyres on the damaged vehicle and carry out other repairs.
This enabled the convoy get back on the road again.
Ms. Duffy said they waited without result for an hour for the gardai to arrive but had to leave due to the need to get on the road and get settled in at their next location, Maynooth, Co. Kildare.
Ms. Duffy described the incident as “truly scary”.
She added: “The driver had absolutely no regard for safety.
“It’s horrific really especially in terms of what came out in the news on Monday regarding the motorway tragedy.
Ms. Duffy expressed her gratitude to a family in a nearby farmhouse who heard the collision and helped to direct traffic.
She appealed for any dashcam or CCTV footage which might identify those responsible.
“It’s not about covering the cost of the damage. It’s about the dangerous driving and the fact that death or serious injury could have been inflicted”.
Duffy’s, which was founded in the late 18th century, is one of Ireland’s oldest family-run circuses, providing live entertainment since the late 18th century.