Gardaí in Cork were last night questioning a man in his 50s in connection with a hit-and-run collision in which an 86-year-old woman was fatally injured as she crossed the road near her home to attend Mass.
The man, who is from east Cork, presented himself at Midleton Garda station yesterday following an appeal for information about the hit-and-run which claimed the life of retired nurse, Mary McCarthy from Main Street, Castlemartyr.
The man was arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and detained at Midleton Garda station for questioning, while he also presented his car to gardaí and officers began a technical examination of the car at Cobh Garda station.
It is understood that Ms McCarthy was crossing the road back to her home at Main Street at around 7.10am yesterday, having mistakenly gone to the local church thinking there was an early Mass when she was struck by a car.
The incident was witnessed from some distance by a truck driver who raised the alarm and gave gardaí a description of the car that was involved as being "small and dark" after the driver of the vehicle failed to stop.
Ms McCarthy was brought to Cork University Hospital, but she died there shortly after 1pm.
Supt Flor Horan of Midleton Garda station appealed to anyone who travelled through Castlemartyr or along the N25 between 7am and 7.30am yesterday and saw either Ms McCarthy or a small dark car with one light to contact Midleton gardaí on 021-4621550.
Supt Horan also appealed for assistance in connection with a collision between a car and a truck on the main Midleton to Whitegate Road on Monday evening in which a woman and her three children were injured.
The collision happened at Whitewell Cross at about 5.15pm. The woman and her three children, two boys aged 11 and seven and a four-year-old girl had to be cut from the car by firefighters.
All four were taken to Cork University Hospital where the woman's condition was yesterday described as "critical", while the children were said to be in a comfortable condition.
