Man (27) airlifted to hospital following an e-scooter incident in Carlow
Sarah Slater
A 27-year-old man has been airlifted to hospital following an e-scooter incident in Carlow Town this morning.
Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of a single-vehicle road traffic incident in the Graiguecullen area of the town shortly after 11:30 am.
In a statement, gardaí said the man, aged in his 20s, was “removed from the scene for treatment of injuries”.
An emergency medical helicopter landed at nearby St Patrick’s Soccer Club and transferred onwards to a hospital in Dublin.
The road is currently closed along the Castlecomer Road near to St Clare’s Church, and diversions are currently in place.
“As this is an ongoing matter no further information is available,” the statement added. The injured man is from Carlow town.
Also in Carlow Town, Leaving Certificate student Janis Ghirghircic Ozols from Willow Park, Carlow Town died when he and a friend fell from the e-scooter he was on with a friend as they travelled along the area of Carpenter’s Way between 8.30pm and 9pm on Monday of last week.
The teenager sustained serious injuries and was transported to St Luke’s General Hospital in Kilkenny before being transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, where he was later pronounced deceased.
The second, an adult male in his late teens, was medically assessed at the scene. He did not require immediate hospital treatment.
At his funeral Mass yesterday (Monday) Parish Priest Fr Thomas Little of Askea, Carlow Town called for more safety features to be implemented around e-scooter use.
Fr Little told those gathered at The Holy Family Church, Askea, Carlow that: “We know that everybody here in the church and town that heard of the sudden and sad death of Janis were deeply saddened and shocked. His passing even made national news.
“We also discovered that many other people have suffered terrible accidents from e-scooters. While e-scooters in themselves give a great sense of freedom, a great sense of exhilaration, and a great sense of being able to go from one place to another it also has serious implications because of safety requirements.”
During his homily Fr Little appealed to the Road Safety Authority (RSA) should “come together and make arrangements that they (e-scooters) would become more safe, maybe slowed down a bit more, maybe wear clothing and a helmet.
"Things that would be needed for the e-scooter. There is no doubt that Janis loved the freedom of the e-scooter and was able to share it with his friends.”
Three days ago, figures showed that six children have been placed on life support in just the past two weeks as a result of e-scooter crashes, doctors have revealed.
Staff at Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin said the rate of serious brain injuries among young children is an unprecedented “epidemic” that requires a total ban on e-scooters.
Speaking to RTÉ consultant neurosurgeon Professor Darach Crimmins said e-scooter crashes are the “single biggest cause of head trauma in children” and that over 400 children attended emergency departments across Children’s Health Ireland hospitals in Dublin for e-scooter injuries in 2025.
