All of the resources of a homicide inquiry have been committed to the Garda’s investigation into the hit-and-run killing of teenager Bryan Lowe on a road in Co Clare last Friday night.
Detectives believe the driver of the car knew the 17-year-old and had followed and then deliberately rammed him off his electric-powered bike near Clonlara village.
However, whether the intent was to kill him or to intimidate and injure him has not yet been established.
Gardaí suspect Bryan Lowe sent messages to at least one person last Friday night expressing concerns for his safety before the fatal incident.
The deceased’s phone records form part of the Garda inquiry, with the investigation team seeking to study messages sent to see if he wrote anything about who might be following him and why.
At this stage, gardaí are working on the hypothesis that the ramming of Bryan Lowe off his e-bike was deliberate and that it was not a conventional crash.
In a post on Facebook, his mother, Crystal Lowe, said she was “heartbroken and traumatised” that her son had died alone. She said she believed Bryan was “followed” from the Corbally area to Clonlara before his death.
Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe said at a time when the teenager should have been going back to school at St Munchin’s College in Limerick, his “distraught family” were instead making arrangements for a funeral.
Crowe urged anyone with information about the incident to contact An Garda Síochána and said he believed this was not “an unfortunate accident”.
The car believed to have been involved in the incident had not been reported stolen. It was later found after efforts had been made to destroy it by fire. It is believed the registered owner of the vehicle was not driving it on the night in question.
There had been an interaction between the occupants of the silver/gold Skoda Octavia, registration 05-C-5982, and Bryan Lowe earlier on Friday.
Gardaí believe the teenager was later followed by the driver and rammed off his bike before being dragged under the vehicle for a time at Cottage Cross, near Clonlara village, at 11pm.
Bryan Lowe, from Westbury, Corbally, and Clonlara, was treated by paramedics after the incident, but was pronounced dead at the scene.
Gardaí investigating possibility that teenager deliberately knocked off e-bike in Co Clare
The partially burnt-out Skoda was found in the Castleconnell area on Saturday morning. Though it was damaged by fire, gardaí are hopeful it may still yield some forensic evidence.
St Munchin’s College offered its sympathies to the teenager’s family and schoolfriends.
“Bryan should be looking ahead to his Leaving Certificate, to his future and to all the possibilities that lay before him. Instead, we are coming together to mourn one of our students whose life has been taken far too soon,” said deputy principal Lorraine Shiels.
“Bryan was an absolute gentleman to meet on the corridor. He would do anything asked of him without complaint … There was a lovely kindness to him and a big heart. He will be sorely missed by everyone in our community.”
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Henry Street Garda station in Limerick on 061-212400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666111 or any garda station.
‘Heartbroken and traumatised’: Family of boy (16) killed in Cloonlara hit-and-run speak out