Ballina raises €10,000 for Polish family

Ballina raises €10,000 for Polish family


Anna Marie Flynn

THE people of Ballina have donated over €10,000 to assist the Polish family involved in the fatal road collision in the town last month.
Within hours, parishioners in the parish of Kilmoremoy, had dug deep into their pockets and gave generously over a series of collections held at Masses in the parish.
The monies raised will be donated towards covering the expenses of the Krawczyk family including the costs of returning the bodies of 39-year-old Martha and her 15-year-old daughter, Sabina - who lost their lives in the crash - to their home of Krakow.
Two weeks ago in Ballina, an inquest into the  deaths  of the two females was and adjourned to facilitate the repatriation of the remains to Poland and now monies generously donated by the people of the town will see that becomes a reality for the family and friends of the deceased in their native country.
The fatal accident, which shocked Ballina over the August Bank Holiday weekend, occurred shortly after midday on Saturday, July 31 last, at a stretch known locally as an accident blackspot along Quay Road, Ballina.
The two had been visiting the country on holidays and were in the company of three other relatives and were travelling from Ballina to Enniscrone to see family friends. Both victims were rear seat passengers in the Honda Civic in which they were travelling, which spun off the road and ended up overturned in a field at Knockbrendan.  The two females were pronounced dead at the scene.  
The male driver and two other passengers, a male and female, were taken to Mayo General Hospital for a short period with non-life-threatening injuries.