15/12/2009

Garda Death Driver Was Banned

The driver of the car involved in the death of a Garda on Sunday had an outstanding driving ban, it has been revealed.

It emerged to day that the 24-year-old who was driving the car that hit a Garda car, leading to the death of Garda Gary Mc Loughlin had been banned from driving.

The man is expected to face questioning once he is released from hospital.

The 24 year old officer died from injuries he sustained in a crash while on duty in Buncrana on Sunday morning.

Tributes have poured in for the young gardaí while the Taoiseach visited his grieving colleagues yesterday and commended the officer for his bravery' in the line of duty.

The remains of the young Garda killed in the line of duty in Donegal have been returned to his native Co Leitrim and will be laid to rest tomorrow afternoon.

Senator John Ellis, a next-door neighbour of the Mc Loughlin family, says everyone is devastated by the tragedy.

This morning, Tánaiste Mary Coughlan, who is TD for Donegal South West, spoke of her shock at the death as she attended a meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council with Cabinet colleagues in Limavady.

"Our sympathies go to first of all his family and secondly to his colleagues,” Ms Coughlan said.

"It is just very devastating for everybody. As a person who knows a number of the members in Buncrana it really is mind-boggling that another tragedy has taken place in the county. We have had a lot of difficulties in the northwest and particularly in Donegal with accidents on the roads."

(DW/BMcc)

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