Accident on O’Connell street

Bit shaken today. I was walking up O’Connell street this morning on the way to the LUAS, walking in the middle as always to avoid the crowds and the paper pushers. Just past the Spire I see this big truck coming up on the path. I was thinking what’s he up to? he’s going to hit that sign post if he doesn’t slow down. Then when I saw he had no intention of slowing down, and was about ten feet away from me, I jumped out of the way. For a second I thought he has to stop, there’s a sign post there! And there was guy just in front of the sign post! I don’t know where I looked just then, I just got out of the way as quickly as possible and then when I looked back, the truck was still going, knocking down everything in its path, and then it stopped at the big christmas tree.

I looked around to see where the other guy had ran to. He hadn’t! Jesus! He was lying twenty feet away in the trail of the carnage looking a bit mangled. His clothes were half ripped off him, and he was very still. I don’t think he ever saw the truck. I think he might have been looking at a phone or an i-pod or something. Shit! I felt terrible. If I’d been thinking a bit quicker, I might just have been able to grab him out of the way. The poor kid, might have been about twenty. A cop arrived very quickly and the kid started groaning horribly. Sounded horrible but was probably a good sign.

Another guy jumped up to the truck to check out the driver. The driver said he just blacked out. Still a bit shaken and upset, I gave my number to the cops, and got some hot sweet tea before coming into work. Can’t stop thinking about that poor guy. Really hope he comes out of it ok.

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Update #1

This was just put up on RTE: http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/1112/rta2.html?rss

Lorry accident at the Spire

A lorry ended up on the central meridian close to the Spire on Dublin’s O’Connell Street.

Gardaí are attending the incident, which has caused traffic disruption on O’Connell St, northbound.

There are no reports of any injuries.

No reported injuries? That’s odd.

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Update #2

Same RTE link now says:

Boy injured in O’Connell St accident

A 16-year-old boy has been seriously injured after being struck by a truck which mounted the centre median close to the Spire on O’Connell Street in Dublin.

He was taken to the Mater Hospital after the collision, which occurred at around 8.20am..

Northbound traffic on O’Connell Street in Dublin is down to just one lane. The remaining lane, which is the bus lane, is open to all traffic.

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Update #3 12:40

Just got a phonecall from Garda. The guy that got hit was talking in the hospital. He’s got two broken legs and a broken pelvis and will be in the operating theatre for the day but it sounds like he’s going to be ok. Eventually. Phew.

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Update #4

Some friends told me there are photos on Flickr. It’s a small world alright; turns out both of the people who took these pics (Redmum and Eoghan MCabe) have blogs that I occasionally read. Redmum’s O’Connell street Photos. Eoghan McCabe’s O’Connell street photo.

Also someone from The Star rang me after lunch. At least I’ll get such a small mention that they won’t be able to do some bad punning with my name. Right. Think I’ll leave it at that with the updates on this thing. Feel like I’m milking this for the sake of blogginess now while that poor chap is in the Mater (out my window) in agony.



11 Comments
  • Reply Red Mum

    November 13, 2007, 3:31 pm

    OMG that was a close shave, I heard about the accident on the news and it wasn’t until I was snapping the Christmas tree and saw the carnage behind it that I realised it was the same accident. Hopefully the fella was was struck makes a full and complete recovery.
    Glad you escaped unscathed physically.

  • Reply John Braine

    November 13, 2007, 5:16 pm

    Yeah was very close! Broken legs and crushed pelvis can’t be much fun at all but it sounds like he’ll be ok in the long run.

    Cheers!
    J.

  • Reply Anonymous

    November 13, 2007, 5:26 pm

    He is a good freind of mine… 🙁
    He should be ok. Pelvis isnt crushed, it was basicly pulled apart like…
    ||
    to
    \/
    Except far warse. His hip got crushed and as some may know, thats not a palce that mends that well. A new hip will be needed. One of his hands is fairly battered aswell.
    But he is alive and should be walkng again in 6 months. SO it could of been alot worse.

    Also, from his mouth:
    He was thowin about 4/5 feet as said here and copyed by the Sun newspaper.

    Thankies

  • Reply John Braine

    November 13, 2007, 5:39 pm

    Hello there. Thanks for the comment. Sounds terrible but really glad he’s alive. Please send him my very best wishes.

    John

  • Reply Claire

    November 15, 2007, 9:47 am

    Hi John, I’m only reading about this now, glad you’re ok, and good to hear that that young lad is going to be ok too. It’s going to be a long road for him though. I’m sure the whole thing will stick with you for awhile.

  • Reply John Braine

    November 15, 2007, 12:21 pm

    Hi Claire. Yeah it’ll always be a reminder of how easily and suddenly stuff like this can happen.

    Thanks
    J.

  • Reply Dorothy

    November 15, 2007, 3:43 pm

    I’m sorry, but why is that the first time I’ve seen the Braine-y bunch headline – OMG!

  • Reply Annie Rhiannon

    November 18, 2007, 1:45 pm

    God, that’s awful. Glad he is going to be okay eventually.

    It must have been a big shock to you, too, to witness something like that. Hope you’re okay.

  • Reply John Braine

    November 19, 2007, 1:23 pm

    Hi Annie.
    Ah yeah I’m absolutely grand was a bit shaken at the time alright. I’ll always be wondering how that young chap is doing though.

    Dorothy did you not see that back in the day? Wasn’t exactly ‘my dream’ either! As far as I can remember, no one even bothered entering the competition!

  • Reply Anonymous

    November 20, 2007, 7:55 pm

    Hi John,
    I too witnessed the crash last monday and have been thinking about that kid all week, hoping he’s ok. Fairly terrifing stuff to witness can’t imagine how the poor fella is coping. So glad to finally hear that he’s going to be ok in the future. My thoughts are with him. Just goes to show you never know whats around the next corner. Thanks for keeping us informed

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