Following the horrible death of a motorcyclist last month in an apparent hit-and-run incident in Carlow County, a formal homicide investigation has been inaugurated by the gardaí. The victim of this brutal act, Tom Connors, aged 35, from Bunclody, Co Wexford, was declared dead at the scene following a collision with a car late in the evening of April 24th in Sandbrook, Ballon, Co Carlow.
Following thorough forensic examinations at the scene and a comprehensive postmortem, authorities are convinced that Connors’ death was a calculated act rather than a tragic accident. This assurance has been consolidated by the discovery of a torched vehicle in proximity to the crime scene.
Before the arrival of rescuers, the car’s passengers fled the scene. It’s been proposed by the gardaí that Connors intentionally absconded from Loughan House’s open prison, where he was serving a sentence of three years for unlawfully taking a vehicle, and was acutely aware of the identity of the individuals in the car that hit him.
Carlow Garda station has allocated a top investigating officer to the case and has set up an incident response centre. In addition, a family liaison officer has been appointed to offer support and keep the deceased’s family updated about the ongoing investigation, as per the statement provided by the Garda.
An appeal for witnesses to step forward has been recently re-issued by the gardaí, more crucially so if they may be able to assist in tracking the progress of the suspect car involved in the incident – a Northern Irish registered dark grey Volkswagen Passat CC bearing partial registration OHZ. It is believed to have crossed the M1 toll bridge on the night of April 23rd, before driving to Ballon the following evening.
Whether they may have seen the vehicle or possess camera footage (including dashcam) of the car, residents and road users in and around the areas of Ballykealy, Ballon, Rathoe, and Sandbrook, are urged to come forward with any potential leads, with special emphasis on those with roadside CCTV coverage at their homes during the stated dates.
Enquiries are currently underway to trace a motorbike spotted in the vicinity at the relevant time, specifically a black Honda CBR (with a partial number plate of 03 WW). The motorbike was noticed in the Sandbrook locale on the night of Wednesday, 24th April.
Those privy to any information about this occurrence are strongly encouraged to reach out to the Carlow Garda station on 059 913 6620, call the anonymous Garda helpline on 1800 666 111, or connect with their local Garda station.