‘The community is still in shock’ – Westmeath town in mourning as friends bid to repatriate Polish road crash victim’s body home

Forty-seven-year-old Marcin Nowosielski died when the car, in which he was the sole occupant of, left the road after crashing into a ditch on the R395 at Teevrevagh, Castlepollard.

The popular local factory worker’s body was found on Tuesday evening by friends who went out searching for the avid soccer fanatic when he failed to return home over the weekend.

Gardaí believe Mr Nowosielski may have lay dead for up to two days, investigations which are expected to be determined by the results of a post mortem.

In the interim, close friends of the single man, who resided in nearby Collinstown for over a decade have set in motion an online fundraising appeal to try and raise funds to repatriate his body home for burial in Poland.

In a touching tribute to try and paint an enduring insight into friends told of how Mr Nowosielski was someone who quickly immersed himself into his adopted county Westmeath home.

“Marcin was a much loved friend who has been living in Ireland for the last 13 year,” friends posted on a GoFundMe page.

“He was a massive football fan supporting his local (team) Rakow Częstochowa, Liverpool, and (was a) big follower of his national team Poland. “He loved socialising, playing pool and darts and always had a smile on his face.”

Friends also told of how the passionate sports enthusiast had endured a difficult upbringing, struggles which they hoped would strike a chord with the wider public in an attempt to ease the burden on Mr Nowosielski’s family back in Poland.

“Marcin was an only child and his grandmother brought him up as his mother passed away when he was very young,” his friends added.

“We are looking for some support in getting Marcin home to his family in Częstochowa.

“Any help would be much appreciated.”

To donate, simply click here.

That appeal comes as gardaí continue to probe the circumstances behind Mr Nowosielski’s death and that of US citizen Joe Marroquin during the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The retired US police officer, who was in his 80s, was killed when the car he was a passenger in was involved in a collision with a second vehicle on the R394, Gartlandstown, Mullingar to Castlepollard road.

His wife Kathy, who is in her 60s and driving the car was seriously injured and taken to Tullamore’s Midland Regional Hospital.

The couple had been visiting family in the area and were en route to catch a flight a flight home at Dublin Airport when the tragedy unfolded.

The passenger and driver of that car, two men in their 20s and 30s, were also injured but not seriously.

They were taken to the Midlands Regional Hospital in Mullingar, Co Westmeath for treatment.

Local Cllr Alfie Devine said the events of the past 72 hours were still being felt in a community that had been left stunned by the double tragedy.

"Everyone is still in shock,” he said. “We are not used to this type of thing. To have a double tragedy like this happen in the space of a couple of days is very difficult to take in and has come as a big shock.”