Weather blamed for four motorway accidents

Bad weather was cited as a major factor in four separate accidents on the motorway between Athlone and Ballinasloe on Sunday. Sgt Declan Hunt in Roscommon Garda Station told the Westmeath Independent that it was extremely fortunate that there were no serious injuries on the M6 on Sunday afternoon after a spell of heavy rain and hailstone showers between 3pm and 4pm was blamed as one of the main causes of four separate single-vehicle collisions. He urged the public to take care on the motorway streetch between Athlone and Ballinasloe especially in bad weather conditions. The crashes happened on both the East and West lanes of the motorways between Athlone and Ballinasloe due to aqua planing on the road, poor driving conditions and a lack of visibility. Gardai said speed was also a factor in the crashes during the bad weather spell. A number of the vehicles lost control and overturned, while one collided with the barrier and another ended up in the ditch. Luckily, for all involved no injuries were reported and the motorists involved escaped unscathed according to gardai. Emergency services including a number of fire brigades and ambulances attended the scene. Delays were reported in both directions for a time on Sunday evening until the vehicles were cleared.