WATCH: Limerick gardai appeal to community to stay calm following fatal hit and run

GARDAI have seized an English-regsitered SUV in connection with the fatal hit-and-run of Irish champion boxer Kevin Sheehy in Limerick city this Monday. 

Kevin, 20, of John Carew Park was knocked down at around 4.40am on Hyde Road where he was pronounced dead and later removed to University Hospital Limerick. 

Chief Superintendent Gerard Roche told members of the media that gardai seized an English-registered black Mitsubishi SUV, with a partial reg of WB52, in a residential area close to the Gaelic Grounds. 

The vehicle was abandoned and not burnt out, he confirmed. 

Chief Supt Roche is appealing for members of the public who may have seen this vehicle and for those in the Hyde Road and city areas to come forward if they have any information. 

“We area also appealing to anybody, especially members of the public, who may have seen anything in the Hyde Road area at 4.40am this morning, to come forward and to contact us at Roxboro Road garda station or on the Garda Confidential Line,” he said.

Chief Supt has also appealed to the public to “remain calm” and to ask the driver of the vehicle to come forward. 

A post-mortem will be carried out on Tuesday morning. 

“We are awaiting post-mortem examination, which will occur in the morning and after that, we will be in a position to tell you more. You can appreciate we are in the very early hours of this investigation.”

Chief Supt Roche was asked about Kevin’s attending of a house party in the area, but he declined to comment on this.

“We are building up the profile of his movement, we are looking at house-to-house inquiry. We are looking at all sorts of CCTV, and gathering all CCTV in the area, including from any premises he may have visited, but also we’re looking at all that now. That is a matter that is under investigation,” he said. 

Expressing his condolences to the family, he said: “I would ask the people around Limerick to support them.”

Gardaí are appealing for anyone with information on the incident, particularly anyone in the area around the time of the collision, who may have dash cam footage, to contact them at Roxboro Road Garda Station on 061 214 340.

Hyde Road remains closed.