Relatives of a Polish man who was seriously injured in a road traffic collision were desperately making travel arrangements from their home country to be with him in hospital in Limerick.
Gardai have made appeals for witnesses to the collision involving a pedestrian and a van, at Main Street Hospital, Co Limerick, around 5.40pm Wednesday.
The pedestrian, has been named locally as Polish national Patryk Kacprowicz, a father fo two young children, who was in a critical condition at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).
Mr Kacprowicz and his family have been living in Hospital in South East County Limerick for the past eight years.
Sources said the 33-year old had been crossing the main street when the collision involving a white coloured VW van occurred.
According to local sources Mr Kacprowicz was thrown “into the air” and “landed on top of a bonnet” of another car that was parked on the side of the street.
The source said paramedics who attended the scene performed valiant efforts to stabilise Mr Kacprowicz, however his condition is understood to have worsened on arrival at UHL.
Mr Kacprowicz’s family were keeping a vigil at his bedside at UHL, while other relatives in his native Poland were desperately making arrangements to travel to the hospital.
“He’s a very nice and obliging lad, and a very handy worker. I think he had been doing a bit of work as a painter,” a source locally said.
“It’s a big shock,” said another source.
Gardai in Bruff are investigating a “serious road traffic collision”.
A garda spokesman said a “pedestrian was seriously injured and taken by ambulance to Limerick University Hospital (and), his condition is described as critical”.
“The driver of the van was uninjured,” they added.
The Main Street where the collision occurred was closed throughout Wednesday and most of Thursday “to facilitate a Forensic Collision examination”.
“Gardaí are appealing for witnesses, or anyone with any information or anyone who may have been on the road between 5.25pm and 5.50pm to contact them at Bruff Garda station on 061 382940, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station,” the spokesman said.
