A speeding truck is alleged to have almost ‘cleaned out’ a group of children in Dunkineely this week.
Cllr Niamh Kennedy said the vehicle hit a kerb, just missing pupils and parents who were at a pedestrian crossing outside the local National School on Wednesday.
“The children were left traumatised,” Cllr Kennedy told today’s meeting of the Donegal Joint Policing Committee (JPC).
“The lorry came around the road and missed five warning signs from the council. These children were nearly cleaned out of it.”
The Independent representative asked that a visible Garda presence be placed at the school. She added that she has been contacted by several people following the incident.
“People need to report these incidents. If there is no evidence of anything happening, there will be no funding,” she said.
“This road is busy. It is the thoroughfare to Killybegs and into Glencolmcille. The parents were back again on Thursday and a truck came through the lights again and drove through. This is a regular occurrence.
“There needs to be more of a push to make people aware of children on the roads. Cars are flying on the road. How often do we hear things like ‘someone will be killed on that road’ and we need to put a focus on this before someone is actually killed.”
Councillor Barry Sweeney said he had also been contacted by a number of concerned parents.
“This was a very scary incident,” he said.
“So much of this is down to driver behaviour and you can’t put up enough signs if someone isn’t going to read them. It is such a busy thoroughfare and there are complaints on an ongoing basis.”
Chief Superintendent Aidan Glacken said Gardai could liaise with GoSafe van operators and encourage them to locate at the area.
Inspector Seamus McGonigle also told the meeting that schools are discussed regularly at meetings of the Donegal Road Safety Working Group.
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