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Garda killed doing his job

AMKC

You can say whatever you like but every time a Garda does their job they go out there and put their life's on the line to keep us all safe. That takes a lot of bravery and courage. Its a dangerous job. I have two cousins in the Garda and I Hope nothing bad ever happens to them.

Very sad to hear of another Garda killed in the line of duty and by a motorbike.

His poor family. He was only 49. Now two young daughters are without their Dad and a wife without her husband.

His name was Kevin Flatley

May he Rest in peace.

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osarusan

Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx27dkkkev1o

A garda (Irish police) officer has died whilst carrying out a speed checkpoint in County Dublin.

Kevin Flatley, 49, died at the scene after he was hit by a motorcyclist in Lanestown, in the north of the county, shortly before 13:00 local time on Sunday.

[Deleted User]

It may be a tragic accident. We haven't very much detail so far.

RIP Kevin

walshb

So so sad this news. Awful thing to happen to a young man doing his country a service.

TheValeyard

Terrible thing to happen. Just horrific.

Rest in Peace.

Raichų

49 years old with two kids and I believe married? Either way, absolutely awful for his family especially his kids.

RIP

...Ghost...

Always a sad day when someone dies on our roads. The motorcyclist is in critical condition. Would seem the Garda stood out to stop the rider and the collision followed, but details are sparse.

Packrat

Another Guard had his leg broken by a biker today in a separate incident.

I was nearly hit by bikes doing ridiculous speeds both yesterday and again today. One fell off as he came to a stop on a pedestrian crossing I was using, the other was overtaking six cars on a short straight and barely made it back in although I stopped to prevent him coming through my windscreen.

There needs to be something done to stop these people. They obviously have no respect for their own lives, so appealing to their self-preservation impulse is no good.

Maybe regulate them off the roads or make them cost prohibitive to use... nearly all are leisure users, doing crazy unnecessary things, endangering others who are just going about their business.

Fecking sick of them now and it's only May..

When they are killing Guards it's getting a bit too much.

NIMAN

Very sad news.

Perhaps this was not an accident, it's more than likely excess speed was involved, but we will only discover that over time.

A tough time for his family and colleagues, especially when only on traffic duties.

Kaisr Sose

I just learned if this now. Very sad news. May Garda Kevin Flatley RIP, and condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

While too late for his and other road traffic victims, hopefully this is a wake up call for govt and AGS that more resources, and particularly tech needs to go into monitoring roads. The number of people speeding and engaging in distracted driving is just increasing.

divillybit

Careful now, motorcyclists on here get very tetchy if they are criticised for their weekend death mobiles out for spin. Invariably a spin for these lads involves speeding and keeping up with the lead rider of the pack who sets the pace for the rest of them. Weaving in and out of traffic stopped at junctions is another dangerous habit they have. These bikes are so fast, lads just are able to overtake cars at their leisure. They know where the speed traps, vans etc are and will open these bikes up on these stretches. You'd hear them from miles away. I know I'm tarring all motorcyclists for their behaviour but a motorcyclist that doesn't speed is an exception. Im very sorry for Garda Kevin Flatley family and friends and colleagues. Hopefully all motorcyclists will reflect on their behaviour

mrcheez

I remember seeing a motorcyclist going the speed limit once… its ingrained in my memory from maybe 3 years ago as it was so unusual to see on the M50

kowloonkev

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123439154#Comment_123439154

I'd love to know the kind of circumstances that happened where this could be called an accident.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123439187#Comment_123439187

As the two-wheeler advocates are fond of reminding us, the word to use is crash, not accident.

Shield

This is utterly devastating. Speaking as a serving member of the PSNI, I can guarantee you we are doing everything we can to support this investigation.

It's all we could talk about in the station and the fact that he died at the scene is jarring enough. Someone out there knows what happened and the right thing to do is come forward and make a statement. Yes, you’ll be arrested, detained, interviewed, etc. but at least you will have done the right thing and the courts would likely accept this as a mitigating factor for any sentence you would receive. Get your affairs in order this week and then hand yourself in.

And so we turn our attention to the difficult issue of appealing to members of the public who may have dash cam footage of what happened to come forward and help us figure this out. Please, please do not share any such footage. Not only would be a slap across the face to his wife and children, it would be a criminal offence to do so.

Many cars have dash cams and it might be the case that you didn’t see it, but you were in the area and noticed a speeding bike. If enough people check their cams and find something… anything, we can start with the edges of this horrible jigsaw and work inwards from there.

An Garda Síochána can’t do this without your help. Please help.

-Shield

The Black Oil

His family will no longer hear him turn the key in the door at the family home. Impossible to imagine their grief. RIP.

standardg60

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123439459#Comment_123439459

The motorcyclist involved is in a critical condition in hospital so not sure who you're appealing to to hand themselves in.

Clearly it was a tragic collision between them.

Beta Ray Bill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123439508#Comment_123439508

We don't know exactly what happened or how many vehicles were involved, I passed by the area around 3pm yesterday on my way to Donabate, the whole road was closed.

The fact the Garda are looking for info on a Yamaha R1 (didn't give the colour or year) suggests to me that they might think others might have been involved.

Commissioner Harris also implied the motorcycle wreckage was "extensive", indicating there was a collision with another vehicle.

It's awful news. Condolences to his family.

Raichų

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123439508#Comment_123439508

there’s nothing clear about this except someone has died.

The circumstances surrounding why are not known yet and I don’t think speculation and pointing fingers at motorcyclists (not saying you were doing that) is the right thing to do.

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123439508#Comment_123439508

Yep, I'd imagine the Garda stepped out into the road to stop the biker for a chat and there was a collision. I've seen them do it and it's incredibly dangerous IMO.

Similarly, I was coming home late one night on the M8 and rounded a bend to see a squad car parked in between the lanes at an exit facing towards me with headlights on (potentially blinding) and a Garda standing in front of it diverting me to the ramp. Thankfully I was alert and able to react quickly.

Obviously there'd been an incident ahead, but there has to be a safer way for Gardai to do this than standing in front of (fast) moving vehicles.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123439154#Comment_123439154

This default response is generally used to let motorists off the hook, and avoid anyone having to take responsibility for their driving or riding. The vast, vast majority of road deaths and injuries are avoidable.

This must be a horrific time for the family of the Garda.

ELM327

RIP to the AGS member. All too easy to forget the humans, family, friends,lives behind the cap and badge and high vis.

That being said, taking this at face value as a tragic accident where the motorcyclist simply didn't see the AGS member trying to initiate a stop, it must raise two separate items for further review. Both the excessive speed and general dangerous driving of motorcyclists , as well as dangerous practices by AGS for traffic stops. Lights facing traffic, officers standing on the road with car lights facing oncoming traffic etc. Traffic stops should be properly controlled with blue light cordons etc. For safety. Better safety practice SOPs could perhaps have saved this member's life

mrcheez

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123439459#Comment_123439459

why is PSNI involved? Motorcyclist from the North?

knucklehead6

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123439657#Comment_123439657

There was a bike race in the north (NW200) over the weekend. A lot of bikers would have gone up for it.

Dr.Tom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123439653#Comment_123439653

Have to agree with this post.

With the greatest of respect to the deceased and to all Garda,traffic management staff,roads workers etc......just because you have a high viz vest on it doesn't make it safe to stand out into a live traffic lane and assume someone will stop for you.

I don't know all circumstances but to me it raises the question of whether a one person speed detection enforcement is a viable option anymore.

DayInTheBog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123439657#Comment_123439657

It's not, so no idea why shield would think him being in the psni has any bearing on an RTA in another jurisdiction.

batman_oh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123439742#Comment_123439742

Also what most people in cars don't realise is if you jam on the brakes on a motorbike suddenly you have a fairly high chance of falling off, regardless of the speed - even higher if it was a non ABS bike. It's not the same as a modern car where you can just mash the thing and it does it for you.

LunaLoo

RIP to Garda Flatley, just a man who left his home that morning to go to work, no idea he wouldn't be coming home again.

I thought from the statement made that he was on side of road with speedgun and another collision happened and he was hit by out of control bike. But who knows, hopefully there will be enough dashcam and cctv to establish what happened and who, if anyone was at fault.

Large bottle small glass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123439742#Comment_123439742

I do a lot of road surveys, often on very busy high speed roads.

The indifference/disregard the average motorist has for road workers/pedestrians etc is really apparent in such an environment.

Insofar as I know the HSA will also investigate this work fatality.

I can see how you can develop any safe system of work for a lone Garda motorcyclist doing a speed check; by definition the Garda is going from a deliberately hidden position to a position close or on an active traffic lane trying to wave down and stop an outlier (i.e. speeding road user).

There was a fatality involving a County council road worker doing minor road repairs about 10 years ago; it changed the practice nationwide in terms of complying with traffic control at road works. Something similar could happen here.

For the avoidance of any doubt I have no information as to the specifics of what happened here and of course there is the possibility that motorcyclist could have been driving like an absolute cnut/racing etc etc. Comment above is just a general comment on the risk involved in solo speed enforcement as a solo Garda motorcyclist.

RIP to Garda Flatley and condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. The deterrent of enforcement by Gardai like Garda Flatley is what keeps the roads safer for all of us and we all owe him and his colleagues a debt.

I've had to attend the funerals of three very young women girls in the last 3 years killed in road collisions. The abject despair, sorrow is hard to put into words. All so avoidable

Hyperbollix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123439369#Comment_123439369

Same. I remember travelling home one night on a quiet country road and I was bemused to see a single headlight tailing me for about 2 miles before it turned into a neighbouring house. That allowed me to twig who was on the motorbike and it all made sense. A very sensible man who still has his communion money.

It's just odd to think of motorcyclists obeying speed limits and exercising safe driving practices. Every fine weekend on the roads in summer, you see the exact oppposite on Irish roads.

Large bottle small glass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123439787#Comment_123439787

If a motorcyclist can't emergency brake safely then he/she shouldn't be on the road or drive at such a speed and care that it isn't need. With training and practice the application of emergency braking is of course possible with a motorcycle.

https://www.carolenash.ie/tips-guides/biking-tips/detail/how-to-do-an-emergency-stop-on-a-motorcycle