A 24-year-old man from a north Galway business family was killed when his car collided with a traffic island on the N17 early yesterday .
Martin Naughton was travelling alone when the single-car incident occurred at Knockdoe, outside Claregalway, at about 2.30am.
He had worked in the N17 electrical and furniture business run by his family at Milltown, outside Tuam, Co Galway.
His body was taken to Galway University Hospital, where a post mortem was due to be carried out.
Mr Naughton was the father of a young child, and is survived also by his parents Tom and Bernie, brother Kevin and sisters Karen and Michelle from Bodane.
Fine Gael councillor Jarlath McDonagh has called on Galway County Council to review the traffic-calming island, which was recently installed at Knockdoe.
“The N17 is a treacherous road, as we know, but this junction is particularly dangerous and there have been a number of fatalities and injuries there over the years,”Cllr McDonagh told The Irish Times.
“The island was put in as a low cost traffic calming measure to try and make it safer, in good faith, and was funded by the National Roads Authority, designed by Galway County Council and installed by an external company,”he said.
“However, it is only a mile from my house and I had received a number of complaints from people who found it difficult to navigate,” Cllr McDonagh said.
“Galway County Council is aware of the situation and I would hope it would review it now,”he said. He expressed his sincere sympathies to the Naughton family.
Gardaí closed the stretch of road for several hours on the N17 and undertook a forensic examination of the scene. Diversions were put in place for traffic.
Investigating gardaí are appealing for witnesses to contact Galway Garda Station at091)538000, the Garda confidential telephone line on 1800-666-111 or any Garda station.