‘Loving son and great friend’: Limerick man killed in motorbike crash

A GARRYOWEN man has been killed in a tragic motorbike incident in a small village in the north of England, police have confirmed.

Jason Hayes, 25, originally from Garryowen but had been living in Northwich, was involved in the collision which occurred in the small village of Oakmere last week. 

Jason, who had attended St Clement’s secondary school, lived in Limerick until his mid-teens and moved to England with his family.

According to a joint statement issued by the Northwich Police and the family, Jason had been out riding his Suzuki motorbike with his friends last Thursday, June 27, when he “came off his bike” at around 9.45pm.

Sadly he sustained serious injuries and passed away at the scene, a police spokesperson stated. 

His family said: “Jason was a loving son and great friend. He touched the hearts and enriched the lives of everyone that knew him”.

It’s understood that Jason kept in close contact with friends in Limerick and visited his hometown a number of times since leaving to England. 

Many social media tributes from family and friends in Limerick have been paid to the deceased. 

Police have now launched a public appeal for witnesses of the collision or those with dashcam footage.

Police constable Tony Hayhurst said that the Limerick man was the 24th person to die on local roads in 2019 so far, and that the cause of the collision is being investigated.

“He was clearly a very much loved young man whose life has prematurely ended in the most upsetting of circumstances while enjoying an evening ride out on his motorbike with friends. I have met with his family, friends and work colleagues, all of whom are devastated by his death, and are being supported by police family liaison officers,” he said in a statement. 

“The cause of the collision is being investigated in order to answer the questions of ‘how’ and ‘why’ this collision occurred,” he said in a statement at the weekend.