Lucky escape as Dick's Merc bursts into flames
FORMER TD PULLS INTO FERRYCARRIG JUST IN TIME
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FORMER TD Dick Roche had a narrow escape when his car went on fire in Wexford over the Christmas holidays.
'I've never seen anything quite like it in my life,' said Dick, who praised the fire service in Wexford and management staff of the Ferrycarrig Hotel, where the incident occurred.
' We were very pleased that nobody was hurt. You can replace a car, you can't replace a person,' he said.
He was travelling home from his native Wexford town with his wife Eleanor when the Mercedes burst into flames on St. Stephen's Day.
They had been visiting family members in Wexford and were north bound when smoke started coming from the car.
Another motorist behind the 2010 E200 model flashed his lights to alert the former Fianna Fail minister to what was happening.
He managed to pull in to the Ferrycarrig Hotel just in time to investigate as the car ground to a halt. Dick and Eleanor got out of the vehicle just before flames destroyed it completely.
Dick and the hotel manager Mick Halpin used fire extinguishers to try keep the intense fire from spreading to the hotel and other vehicles until the fire brigade arrived.
' We managed to get all but one of the adjacent cars moved out of danger,' said Dick.
That car belonged to an English man, whose family was accommodated by the Ferrycarrig Hotel that night as the damage was dealt with.
Hotel owner Liam Griffin said that there was also some damage caused to the tarmacadam where the car stopped, as well as flower boxes and other parts of the display they have at the front entrance to the Ferrycarrig Hotel, which Dick stopped his car right outside. There was also some minor damage to the front wall of the hotel due to the blaze.
' We had to repair the tarmacadam last year due to all the damage caused by the snow, little did we think we'd have to do it again this year due to a fire,' said Liam, pointing out that the damage was caused as the Mercedes car literally melted away due to the fire.
However, the Wexford man said that they are not overly concerned with the damage, which will be repaired. ' The most important thing is that nobody was hurt and that Dick and Eleanor got out of the car in time. It could have been a terrible tragedy,' said Liam.
He also praised the efforts of the Wexford firefighters who quickly responded to the call and dealt with the blaze before it could cause further damage to the popular hotel.
The cause of the blaze is now being investigated. ' There is speculation that it was a catalytic converter, but that is just speculation,' said Dick, adding that the vehicle is being examined. ' The car is still under warranty so we have been provided with another car,' he said. Dick said that it was ' hard to believe' that it had happened as the vehicle in question is generally considered 'a good, sturdy car'.
