Young mother dies in horror crash
A young mother is dead, and four children injured - one seriously - following a horror crash in Collinstown this morning, Tuesday. Mrs. Caroline Cox, nee Masterson, died when her SUV overturned just two miles outside of Collinstown at around 8 a.m., and while ambulances rushed the woman and children to the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar, she was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.A toddler who was among the injured was fighting for his life at the time of going to press.Emergency services were contacted immediately after the crash by local residents, and Gardaí from Castlepollard and Multyfarnham, along with Garda traffic corps personnel from Mullingar and Longford, arrived at the scene, accompanied by ambulance personnel and a tender from Castlepollard Fire Station.The deceased woman, a Mullingar native who lived at Collinstown Heights - is believed to have been travelling in the direction of Lavin"s Cross outside Collinstown when the accident occurred.After arriving at the scene, Garda traffic corps personnel set up checkpoints and traffic diversions, while forensics experts carried out a detailed examination of the scene.Inspector Alan Murray, Mullingar, confirmed that the accident took place at around 8.15am on Tuesday morning, and that there were five occupants in the jeep. 'It was a single vehicle accident, as a result of which a female driver died at the scene,' he said.'The four children have been brought to the Regional Hospital in Mullingar.'Inspector Murray explained that Gardaí were preserving the scene for much of Tuesday morning and afternoon to allow a thorough assessment by Garda forensics accident investigators.He could not elaborate on what the woman"s destination was, although local sources suggested that she was travelling to leave her teenage son at a bus stop, so he could catch the morning bus to school in Oldcastle.He confirmed that the four children involved in the accident were aged 15, 12, 3 years and six months. Gardaí immediately contacted the woman"s husband, who was at work at the time.