THE FAMILY of a young girl who was killed when she was hit by a car a year ago this week said they have been left with more questions than answers about her death. 14-year-old Savannah Barry Calvert, late of Fairview Crescent, Garryowen, died after being struck by a car as she was crossing the street at Bank Place in Limerick City, on the night of August 16, 2023. Savannah had been living with a diagnosis of a respiratory disease, cystic fibrosis, which tragically claimed the lives of her sisters, Katie and Sophie.
Poignantly, Savannah was also trying to cope with the loss of her mother, Jacqueline Barry, who died eight months previously of stomach cancer, aged just 53. Speaking as the first anniversary of her sister’s death approached, Diane Calvert said that despite a year-long Garda investigation into Savannah’s death, the family are still seeking answers as to the circumstances around her passing. A Garda forensic collision investigator was called to examine the scene of the fatal incident, but a year on, Ms Calvert said she and her family are none the wiser about what was discovered.
Ms Calvert claimed that when she previously asked Gardaí if she could view CCTV footage from a camera in the area, she was told it was “too distressing to watch”. However, when she pressed Gardaí further on the footage, she says she was told the camera was facing away from the area at the time the collision occurred. Despite this, Ms Calvert praised the “sensitivities” shown .