Gardaí have arrested a man after a suspected hit-and-run on Sunday night in Co Tipperary in which a man in his 60s died.
It is believed that Michael Stapleton (68), from the Poynestown area of Glengoole, died after suffering fatal injuries when he was struck by a vehicle as he walked close to his home at about 10.20pm on Sunday.
Gardaí said that all the indications were that he was “struck by a vehicle that failed to stop”.
Mr Stapleton was discovered by a local person, who performed CPR on him. A number of ambulances and gardaí arrived at the location within a short time, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A man, in his 40s, was arrested on Monday afternoon and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Thurles Garda Station.
The road where the incident took place is located between the villages of Glengoole and Ballysloe.
Mr Stapleton’s body remained at the scene overnight while gardaí preserved the area for a technical examination, before being moved to University Hospital Waterford on Monday afternoon for a postmortem. The road reopened to traffic on Monday evening.
Fine Gael councillor John Fahey, who lives a few miles from the scene, described Mr Stapleton as “a quiet man” who “liked a couple of pints” in Brennan’s in Glengoole from time to time. “I think he was on his way home from there [when the incident occurred].”
Insp Padraig Powell, of Thurles Garda station, on Monday appealed for anyone travelling between Glengoole and Ballysloe between 9pm and 10.45pm on the night in question, or anyone in the area with recording devices on their cars, to contact them.