Gardai issue fresh appeal over fatal Letterkenny collision

Gardai have issued a fresh appeal for information following a fatal road traffic collision in Letterkenny on Friday evening.

Layla Hussein Ali, a 22-year-old Somali national, was a pedestrian and was struck by a vehicle at Illistrin on the N56 road at around 7pm.

Ms Ali had only been Ireland for a little over nine months having arrived in the country in March 2023. Relatives of the deceased woman, who are based in the UK, travelled to Donegal and are being aided by a family liaison officer, appointed by An Garda Siochana.

The collision occurred close to the Ballyare junction and gardai are appealing for information. Officers at Milford Garda Station are leading the investigation and are seeking dash cam footage as well as CCTV from private homes and businesses in the area.

A spokesperson said: “Gardaí are investigating a fatal road traffic collision that occurred on the N56 at Illistrin, Kilmacrennan on the evening of  Friday the 5th of January.

The collision involved a car and a pedestrian.

“Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward. Any road users who have a dash cam and who were travelling on the N56 in the Ellistrin area between 6pm and 7.15pm on the 5th of January are asked to make this footage available to Gardaí.

“Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milford Garda station on 074- 9153060, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.”

In 2023, there were 44 pedestrians killed on Ireland’s roads.

In the aftermath of Friday’s fatal collision, garda forensic collision investigators examined the scene. The N56 road between Letterkenny and Kilmacrennan was closed overnight on Friday and into Saturday to allow a full examination of the scene with local diversions put in place.

“It’s a terrible start to the new year, a young girl taken in the prime of her life,” Councillor Kevin Bradley, the Mayor of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District, told Donegal Live.

“God love the poor family, my heart goes out to them. It is devastating and thoughts and prayers go to the driver of the car involved too.

“It was just terrible news to get. There are too many lives being lost on our roads at the moment.”