Castlepollard crash victim named locally as visitor from the US

A man in his 80s who died following a crash near Castlepollard on Wednesday morning has been named locally as Joe Marroquin, a resident of the United States.

He and his wife, Cathy Marroquin, both of whom have Irish heritage, had been visiting Ireland in the last month.

They had been staying with family in the area and had been on the way to the airport when the accident occurred.

The two-vehicle crash happened at 5.30am on the R394 at Gartlandstown.

Mr Marroquin was pronounced dead at the scene and his wife was taken to Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore in critical condition.

The occupants of the second vehicle, two men aged in their 20s and 30s, were taken to Regional Hospital Mullingar with less serious injuries.

This was the second fatal crash within 24 hours in the area.

A car was found in a ditch at 6.30pm on Tuesday, just minutes away, on the R395 at Teevrevagh, near Castlepollard.

In the driver’s seat of the car, a black Nissan Almera, was 47-year-old Marcin Nowosielski, who had been last seen out socialising in the area on Saturday (June 29) and in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Mr Nowosielski, a native of Poland who had been living in Ireland for 13 years, had not formally been reported missing since the weekend, but friends had been concerned for his welfare.

It is believed his car left the road some time on Sunday morning, and gardaí are asking for anyone with information on his movements to contact Mullingar Garda Station.

“Gardaí are appealing to anyone with information on the movements of Marcin Nowosielski or his car, a black Nissan Almera with registration 02 CE 3568, since the early hours of 30th June 2024, to come forward,” a garda statement said.

In tributes on social media, Mr Nowosielski has been described as a “much-loved friend” who “always had a smile on his face”.

He was also described as a “massive football fan” who supported Liverpool FC and his native team of Raków Częstochowa.

An online fundraiser set up today to send money home to his family in Częstochowa has already raised almost €1,000.