The kin of a man who was fatally hit by an automobile just a stone’s throw away from his home in Co Louth, are making a plea for any information that could shed light on the ten-year-old hit-and-run incident. Keith Byrne, aged 35, had just left his neighbourhood pub and was making his way back home along the L1140 route connecting Carnalogue and Louth Village in the wee hours of Sunday, May 11th, 2014.
Unfortunate as it was, a passing taxi driver stumbled upon his lifeless body, and Keith was subsequently announced as dead. In her interview on RTÉ’s Crimecall programme Monday evening, his sister Niamh shared that he had just got off work, in a rather splendid mood, mentioned along the lines of attending a local wake and winding it up with some drinks.
As recounted by the brother, Keith had texted for a ride home but missed the timing; opting, instead, to embark on the journey himself via the countryside road. David goes on to share the dreadful moment he woke to the sound of their mother crying, walked around to the nearby bend to find Keith recognised by his boots. The guilt of whether an extra five minutes wait would have saved Keith’s life still haunts David even after ten years.
Keith’s life was cut short merely 300 yards from his abode where a commemorative monument has been put up in remembrance. David articulates the pain of comprehending that another minute and Keith would’ve been safely home. His sister, Niamh, hopes for information that can finally give them closure after a decade of ambiguity and torment.
In her words, it’s fear-inducing how life and circumstances can drastically change in an instance. The Gardaí and the Byrne family are urging the perpetrator, who they believe is withholding valuable information, to step up. They also call upon those the driver might have confided in over the past ten years to reach out.