Four-year-old was killed while playing with other children in Westmeath
A four-year-old boy who had just celebrated his birthday was knocked down and killed in front of other young children in a newly built housing estate.
Little Abdur Rehman was playing in the Farranashock estate in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, when the tragedy happened at around 6.30 pm on Easter Monday.
He was treated at the scene before being taken by ambulance to Mullingar Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Pic: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie
The little boy's parents had just four weeks earlier celebrated the birth of their second child. They are originally from Pakistan but have been living in Ireland for a number of years.
It is understood that the boy was knocked down and killed just yards from his new home. The family had just moved into the estate a few months ago.
Naveed Iqbal, a friend of the parents, broke down in tears as he described how little Abdur hadn't even finished opening his birthday presents.
'They were keeping some for him so he could open one every day,' he told RTÉ News. 'The family just moved here a few months ago.
'We helped them move. They are a hard-working family, same as everyone here. It's so sad for everyone.' The collision occurred in the Farranshock estate on the outskirts of Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Pic: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie
Another family friend, Fahim Khan, added: 'The community has been so supportive. They were there at the time of the incident. It's a loss for everybody. It's a loss for every parent. It's heartbreaking, and the parents are in trauma. They're in the hospital and they have a newborn baby, only four weeks.
'The mother is absolutely devastated. They are a hard-working family, same as the whole community. We don't know exactly what has happened.'
Local Westmeath councillor Mick Dollard said: 'This is a new housing estate. People are still moving into it, but I know the people are absolutely traumatised by what has happened.'
He added: 'The child was only four years of age. Parents and grandparents immediately empathise with what has happened. It's an awful tragedy.'
Floral tributes were last night being placed at the spot where little Abdur died. A BMW vehicle was also removed from the scene yesterday after the work of Garda forensic teams was complete.
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to contact them. Three people died while another 12 were seriously injured on the roads over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Jason Monks, 18, died after a crash between a scrambler bike and a car in the Citywest area of Dublin on Easter Sunday.
In a tribute to her son, Jason's mother Donna wrote: 'O lord please let this be a big bad dream that big strong boy was my baby there was nothing in this world he wouldn't do for his mammy my heart is shattered into a million bits I can't cope why my handsome young man why. My beautiful baby boy, how is my life ever going to be the same ever again?'
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