The body of the man who died in last Monday's N7 collision is due to be flown back to his native Moldova today.
Anatolie Butucel (45) died in the early hours of Monday, September 21st, after the Yaris he was driving was hit by a Volkswagen Passat which was driving the wrong way on the N7 dual carriageway. Mr Butucel suffered what was described by a source as “catastrophic injuries” and died at the scene.
Originally from the town of Durlesti in Moldova, Mr Butucel moved to Ireland nearly five years ago and was working in a chip shop in Crumlin. His friend Victor Lungu, who knew Mr Butucel from back in Moldova and worked with him, said Dublin's Moldovan community was in shock.
Son in Moldova
Mr Butucel did not have immediate family in Ireland but had three children from two previous marriages living in Moldova and Spain. His 21-year-old son, who lives in Moldova, was reportedly due to travel to Ireland this weekend to collect his father's remains and meet with gardaí.
“He was full of life and always had the time to give you a hand,” Mr Lungu said. “He didn’t have the best life in Moldova and needed to earn more money for his children so he moved here. He sent money back home to his family.”
“He really liked Ireland, he loved its beaches and planned to stay here. He had a house back in Moldova but was thinking about selling that property and moving here. He was a very positive person, a good person.”
