The funeral of the Cork father of five who was killed in a freak accident at the weekend will take place tomorrow in Clonakilty. He has been named as Mr Robert O'Higgins (52), of Tubereen Road, Desert, Clonakilty.
Mr O'Higgins, who was employed for many years by Houlihans bakery in Clonakilty, died instantly when his bread van was crushed by a lorry in the forecourt of a petrol shop/public house complex, known as The Welcome Inn, at Ballineen, near Bandon, Co Cork. The lorry went out of control at a bend and rammed the van against the petrol pumps.
The owner of the shop, Mr Tom O'Donoghue, said he was changing a €50 note for a customer when Mr O'Higgins called to the shop and he dealt with him first so as not to delay him.
The accident occurred at 11.15 a.m. on Saturday, just after Mr O'Higgins had returned to the van.
He was on his way back to west Cork having made his usual deliveries in Cork city earlier.
Gardaí and emergency services were at the scene quickly and there were initial fears that the petrol pumps, which had been badly damaged by the impact, would explode.
As petrol seeped from the pumps, gardaí and fire brigade units sealed the main road between Bandon and Clonakilty, causing major disruption to traffic.
Diversions were put in place on the approaches to Ballineen.
It was more than five hours before the situation was brought under control and motorists were allowed to use the main road between Cork and Clonakilty again.
Last year, Mr O'Higgins suffered a severe injury to his leg as he was unloading pallets containing bread from an articulated truck outside the Clonakilty-based bakery.
The injury left him in hospital for many weeks and out of work for the better part of the year.
He recently resumed working for the company and had told friends he was delighted to be back.
From Cork city, he was a well-known sportsman in his youth and a keen sailor.
He had worked previously as an international buyer for a Cork clothing company.
News of his death has shocked the close-knit community of Clonakilty, where he was well known and liked.
He is survived by his wife, Noelle, two sons and three daughters.
The removal is tonight and the funeral will take place in Clonakilty tomorrow after 2.30 p.m. Requiem Mass.