Co Westmeath crashes: US tourist killed and wife seriously injured while driving to airport

A man in his 80s who died following a crash in Co Westmeath on Wednesday has been named locally as Joe Marroquin, a resident of Texas in the United States.

Mr Marroquin and his wife Cathy Marroquin, who both have Irish heritage, had been visiting Ireland over the past month. They had been staying with family in the area and were on the way to the airport when the crash occurred on the R394 at Gartlandstown near Castlepollard at around 5.30am.

Mr Marroquin was pronounced dead at the scene, and his wife was taken to the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore in a critical condition. Two occupants of the second vehicle, men in their 20s and 30s, were taken to hospital to be treated for less serious injuries.

It was the second fatal crash discovered in the area in the space of 24 hours. A car was found in a ditch just minutes away along the R395 at Teeveragh near Castlepollard at 6.30pm on Tuesday.

Marcin Nowosielski (47), who had last been seen socialising in the area on Saturday night, was found in the driver’s seat of a Nissan Almera. He had been reported missing at the weekend by friends who became concerned for his welfare.

Originally from Poland, Mr Nowosielski, a factory worker, had been living in Ireland for 13 years. It is believed his car left the road sometime on Sunday morning. Gardaí appealed to anyone with information about his movements to contact Mullingar Garda station.

In tributes on social media, Mr Nowosielski was described as a “much-loved friend” who “always had a smile on his face”.

A fundraiser set up to raise money to support his family in Częstochowa had raised more than €1,300 as of Thursday morning.