US tourist killed in Westmeath crash was Vietnam veteran

A US tourist killed in a car accident in Westmeath during the week has been confirmed as a Vietnam veteran who was returning home from a vacation in Ireland. 

Joe Marroquin, who was in his 80s, was traveling to Dublin Airport when he was killed in a two-vehicle collision on the Castlepollard to Mullingar road, in Westmeath, on Wednesday, July 3. 

Marroquin was pronounced dead at the scene, while his wife Cathy, who is in her 60s, was rushed to Midlands Regional Hospital after suffering serious injuries. She remains in a critical condition. 

Both Joe and Cathy Marroquin have Irish ancestry and had been visiting relatives in Whitehall, County Westmeath, prior to the crash. 

According to an online memorial, Joe Marroquin served "with distinction" in the US Marine Corps between 1958 and 1969 before beginning a career as a police officer in 1970. 

Marroquin joined the Bellaire Police Department in Texas in 1972 where he remained for 13 years. The online memorial noted that his time in the Bellaire Police Department was marked by "his unwavering commitment to public safety and his compassionate approach to community policing". 

He left the Bellaire Police Department in 1985 and joined the police force in Harris County. 

His death was the 97th to take place on Irish roads in 2024, an increase of 12 compared to the same period last year. He was also the fourth person to die on Irish roads within the last week. 

Two men, aged in their 30s and 20s, also suffered minor injuries in the two-vehicle crash on Wednesday and were taken to Midlands Regional Hospital. 

Speaking on Wednesday evening, Garda Superintendent Liam Geraghty said the recent fatalities "once again clearly demonstrate the tragedy that can befall anyone of us". 

"No person wakes up and goes out on our roads to cause or be involved in a traffic collision, in particular, no person intends to cause someone's death or be fatally injured."