Italian police are investigating the road traffic incident in which an Irish couple were killed on Thursday as family members were due to fly to Rome over the weekend.
Paul (60) and Mary O’Reilly (59), from Lannabeg in Kilmore, Co Wexford, had travelled to Rome on Tuesday for a week-long holiday but were hit by a car on Thursday as they crossed the road to a bus stop, dying instantly at the scene.
The crash happened on the Via Cristoforo Colombo in the south of Rome near the Presidential Palace, Castel Porziano, shortly before 1pm.
The driver of the car, a 54-year-old man from Rome, is believed to have suffered minor injuries in the incident and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
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The bodies of the two Irish citizens were taken to the Tor Vergata Hospital where postmortems will take place in due course. Family members will travel to the city over the weekend to complete the identification process.
Describing the crash, Wexford councillor and cousin of Mary O’Reilly, Jim Moore said “this is a traumatic incident for everyone involved.”
“We are hoping that the postmortem or autopsy will be completed on Monday. It’s a weekend but it’s still giving us an opportunity to get our heads around matters and deal with what has been presented to us.”
Meanwhile a book of condolences have been opened in the Parish Church in Kilmore, and also in Stella Maris Hall in Kilmore Quay, where Mary worked.
Cllr Moore said “we will gather around as a family and a community to support their children. There is a feeling of stunned silence in the area.”
Parish priest, Fr Pat Mernagh, says opening of the book of condolences presented a way for people to offer their name to the list of people wanting to express their sorrow to the family.
The couple were due to bring their grandchildren to Disneyland next week on their return home from Rome.
Fr Mernagh spoke of the couple having been looking forward to their Rome holiday.
“They were looking forward to having a little holiday. It’s such a tragic, tragic situation.”
Cllr Moore said the local community was heartbroken and stunned by the tragedy.
“We are all stunned. People are devastated. It’s a terrible blow to a small parish community,” he said.
Paul, he said, previously worked in the fishing industry while he currently worked in the maritime industry that took him abroad quite a lot.
“They have two sons, Darren and Andrew, and grandchildren, who are being comforted by relatives, friends and neighbours. We are presently trying to piece everything together,” he added.
The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed their deaths and said it is providing consular assistance to the family of the couple.
The road on which the two were killed is noted as one of Rome’s most dangerous with a string of recent deaths reported due to traffic collisions.
In the past fortnight a teenager was killed in a collision when riding his scooter along the ‘Colombo’ as it is known to locals. This followed the death of a well-known businessman from Ostia who also died in a collision while riding his scooter last month.
Speaking to The Irish Times, a resident of the adjacent neighbourhood Giardino di Roma, said the town was “very upset” over the incident. “The whole community is talking about it,” Andrea M (who did not wish to give his late name) said.
He said he regularly sees “thousands of tourists” walking in unsafe conditions on the road where there are no pavements although there’s a popular camping located nearby.
“I wonder if the camping management could do something besides the local authorities.
“It’s a pity to see that people come from all over the world to visit and we don’t seem to be able to guarantee them a safe stay.”
When asked for a comment, Fabolous Village, the campsite on Via Colombo, told The Irish Times that “Every intervention has to come by external bodies and authorities. We can’t do anything about it as we don’t own the road.”