Child knocked down – realising residents’ fears over school parking

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – Tragedy was narrowly avoided on Friday last when a child escaped without severe injury after being knocked down in Knocknacarra.

The incident occurred at the entrance to the Gort Siar estate where residents have been up in arms for months over parents illegally parking while dropping and collecting children from school.

A Garda spokesperson confirmed to the Galway City Tribune that they received a report of a child being struck by a vehicle on Friday morning but that following a visit to the Emergency Department, ‘no injuries’ were recorded.

Chairperson of the Gort Siar Residents’ Association, Martin Faherty, said their worst fears were realised when news of the incident broke. It is alleged that a driver struck the child as they emerged from between two illegally parked vehicles.

“We’ve been flagging this issue for months – that when kids walk down from the school, they have to go out around the illegally parked cars or walk between them to cross the road,” said Mr Faherty.

“What happened on Friday was a lucky escape – the child had to go between two parked cars and the oncoming driver didn’t see them. They were thrown up on the bonnet but thankfully, they were fine.”

The issue of illegal parking at Gort Siar had only arisen last September when bollards were erected along the cycle lanes on the entrance route to St John the Apostle National School, said Mr Faherty.

This area was once used for illegal parking but having been forced out of there, drivers moved to Gort Siar, despite a number of safe alternatives being put in place by the school.

Despite the accident, nothing has changed since, he said, around a dozen motorists are still parking illegally on a daily basis while they drop off and collect children from school.

(Photo: cars parked at the entrance to Gort Siar when the accident occurred last Friday morning)

This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the story, see the June 24 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.