A loving father has been forced to relive his worst nightmare through the eyes of his tragic son after both were involved in horrific car crashes.
Martin McGrath spent fourteen weeks in hospital after receiving a serious head injury following a car crash back in 1978.
He fought tooth and nail to lead a normal life after being almost killed in the crash.
Now he has told of his heartache after his son suffered a similar brain damaging injury after he was involved in a car crash in Letterkenny last week.
Darry McDaid, 23, from Cavanacaw, St Johnston, is in intensive care at Letterkenny General Hospital after his BMW car crossed over four lanes and crashed into a wall.
Gardai are still investigating the cause of the crash which happened just before 1am on Thursday morning last on the Letterkenny to Derry Road at Drumnahoagh.
Darry’s distraught dad Martin has told how he has been left devastated after having to watch his son go through all he went through almost four decades ago.
“I always worried and dreaded something like this would happen and now it has.
“I don’t remember much about my accident but I’m told a cow came out of a field and hit our car. I was a back-seat passenger and I spent fourteen weeks in hospital.
“I never thought anything like this would happen to my family. To be honest I think that Darry’s injuries are worse than mine. It’s heartbreaking watching him lying there in hospital.
“He has severe brain damage but they are doing tremendous work in Letterkenny General Hospital to help him come back,” said Martin.
Martin described his son as “a very decent and shy young man.”
Darry was only back from England for a few days holidays from England where he is a manager in a bakery.
“He had a date that night and none of us even knew about it. He is very shy but a decent young man.
“We are just asking everyone to keep him in their prayers and hope that he will pull through this,” said his devastated dad.
Both the Gardai and Darry’s family have appealed for anyone who was in the area of the crash on the evening in question to come forward.
“We are asking anybody who may have even noticed the smallest thing in the area to come forward and let us or the Gardai know.
“Nobody knows how Darry ended up crashing into that wall that night. But we need to find out.
“It may help Gardai to get to the bottom of this.
“In the meantime all we can do is to pray that he finds the strength to pull through,” added Martin.
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