Donegal man commended for road safety talks to teenagers

A Co Donegal man who lost an arm, shattered his pelvis and broke his neck and both hips in a car crash has been commended for delivering road safety talks to young people.

Richard Alcorn (30) says he has no recollection of the collision near his hometown of Dunfanaghy in 2006.

“I was 19 at the time and on my own in the car. There was a bit of bad weather, but I think the roads were alright,” he said. “I don’t really remember anything until I came out of sedation and mum and dad saying that I was going to have to have my arm amputated, it was caused by a blood clot.”

He said he broke the C1 and C2 vertebrae in his neck “which is the hangman’s break as they call it, so I couldn’t be any luckier”.

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Mr Alcorn, whose two cousins died in a road crash in 2005, has been delivering talks at the Road Safe Show in Donegal and at road safety events in Cavan, Kildare and Mayo for the last 10 years.

Mr Alcorn was one of 25 people recognised at the Road Safety Authority’s (RSA) Leading Lights in Road Safety award at Croke Park on Wednesday. He received the Supreme Award for 2017.

Mr Alcorn addresses teenagers aged 16-17 with the message “remember, the next time it could be you”.

“Everybody’s not going to listen at the end of the day, that’s the way it is with everything but if you can get just one person to listen, that’s what you’re after. Especially someone starting driving, get them to look after themselves, get experience and understand their car and the road.”

‘Inspiration’

Minister for Transport Shane Ross said Mr Alcorn was “a true inspiration”.

“His bravery in not only dealing with the aftermath of such a life-changing incident but also using his experience to teach others, is why he is so deserving of the RSA Leading Lights in Rod Safety Supreme Award,” Mr Ross said.

Publican Tom Treacy was presented with a special recognition award for his pub and restaurant Treacy’s Bar, located outside Portlaoise which provides a free taxi service to all their customers within a 12km radius.

Mr Treacy’s nephew, Ronan Treacy, lost his four-year-old son Ciarán in a collision involving a drunk-driver in Laois in 2014.

“There’s no local taxi service in the area and taxis won’t come out from Portlaoise because it wouldn’t pay them to come out,” he said. “Around eight years ago we decided to get a second-hand minibus which did us up until this year when we got a new one... It’s very popular amongst all ages. Even people coming out for a meal who would like to have a drink and relax.”

Expensive

He said providing the service was expensive, with the insurance on the minibus costing €3,000.

“Most publicans would not be able to afford it but because of the restaurant we’re able to support it, without that we wouldn’t be able to do it,” he said.

Other award winners included Donal O’Sullivan, who helped get a junior traffic warden project off the ground in Carlow in 1970.

RTÉ One won the national media award for the documentary ‘After the Crash’ which remembered every individual life lost on the roads in 2016.

St Joseph’s Boarding School for Deaf Boys was also recognised for its work in helping students become more aware while on the roads.

Liz O’Donnell, chairwoman of the RSA, said the awards were “about keeping our local communities safe”.

“That’s why we are recognising the great work being celebrated here today...Work that is making a difference and saving lives.”