Lucky escape for driver as taxi catches fire
A motorist had a lucky escape this evening after the car she was driving burst into flames on a busy road in Co Clare.
The incident happened at around 6pm at Ashline on the N68 Ennis to Kilrush road. The vehicle, which bore taxi markings, was travelling from Ennis towards Kilrush at the time.
After the front of the car caught fire, the driver managed to pull her vehicle into the kerb before jumping out. It is not clear whether the taxi was in service at the time, but it is known there were no passengers on board.
Two units of the fire brigade from Ennis were sent to the incident along with a number of garda patrols.
On arrival at the scene, fire crews found that the driver had exited the car safely. She was uninjured but left shaken by the incident.
The road was closed for a short time while fire crews dealt with the blaze. One lane was soon reopened as the evening traffic began to build.
The cause of the fire has not been confirmed but is thought to have been electrical.
