A cow was killed after being hit by a truck in Co. Mayo late last week, Gardaí have confirmed.

The incident occured on Thursday (August 20) shortly after 5:00am. The cow died sometime after it was stuck by the vehicle in the vicinity of Ballina, it is believed.

Serious damage was caused to the truck. However, the driver was uninjured.

In a brief statement, Gardaí said: “Gardaí attended the scene of a road traffic collision that occurred on Thursday, August 20, at approximately 5:10am.

“A truck collided with a cow during the incident. The cow later died and serious damage [was] caused to the truck. No injuries [were caused] to the driver of the truck,” the statement added.

Road safety warning

In other road safety news, road users are urged to be aware of the hazardous travelling conditions that may ensue as Storm Francis tracks across the country later today (Monday, August 24).

The National Directorate of Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) Crisis Management Team met today to assess the updated forecast from Met Éireann regarding Storm Francis.

Storm Francis which will track over Ireland tonight (Monday, August 24) and during Tuesday (August 25) bringing a period of intense rainfall and very windy and stormy conditions.

Local teams were advised yesterday (Sunday, August 23) to actively monitor Met Éireann and the Office of Public Works forecasts during this period of unsettled weather.

As trees are in full leaf, there is the potential for a number of trees to fall, blocking roads and damaging power lines. The ESB is reportedly preparing for power outages, with staff apparently on standby to repair faults in all areas.