“HE SAID HE WAS BEING FOLLOWED” — THEN 16-YEAR-OLD BRYAN LOWE WAS FOUND AFTER A FATAL HIT-AND-RUN

Bryan Lowe was just 16, with his whole future ahead of him. Then, shortly before a fatal collision, he reportedly sent a message saying he was being followed.

Now his grieving family is demanding answers as Gardaí investigate what happened on a dark road near Cloonlara, County Clare.

Bryan, a sixth-year student at St Munchin’s College in Limerick, was riding an e-bike near Cottage Cross shortly after 11 p.m. on Friday, September 4, when he was involved in a collision.

Emergency services found the teenager unresponsive by the roadside.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The vehicle believed to have been involved did not remain there. Gardaí are now seeking the driver or occupants of a silver or gold Skoda Octavia seen in the area around the time of the incident.

“LOVE YOU MY SON. HEARTBROKEN.”

In the days after Bryan’s death, his mother, Crystal Lowe, shared photographs of her son from happier moments.

In one heartbreaking tribute, she wrote simply:

“Love you my son. Heartbroken.”

The photographs showed Bryan with his family, including moments from Christmas and a picture of him smiling alongside his mother.

For a family now facing an unimaginable loss, those ordinary memories have taken on a painful new meaning.

His sister Chloe also shared an emotional tribute to her younger brother.

She described Bryan as her “one and only brother” and the best uncle to her son, Thomas.

She wrote that she did not know how she would explain to the child that they would never see Bryan again.

Her message captured the devastation of a family suddenly forced to imagine a future without a teenager who, only days earlier, had been looking ahead to his own.

“HE SAID HE WAS BEING FOLLOWED”

One of the most disturbing details to emerge from the investigation is a reported message Bryan sent to a friend shortly before the incident.

According to reports, the teenager said he was being followed.

That claim has become a key part of the questions surrounding the case.

Gardaí are investigating whether Bryan may have been followed before the collision.

One line of inquiry is whether the occupants of the vehicle may have been interested in taking his e-bike.

But investigators have not established that this was the motive, and the circumstances remain under investigation.

For Bryan’s family, the possibility raises an agonising question:

If he really believed someone was following him, what happened in the final moments before the collision?

GARDAÍ ARE HUNTING FOR A SKODA

Gardaí have appealed for information about a silver or gold Skoda Octavia, registration 05-C-5982, which was reportedly in the Cloonlara/Castleconnell area between approximately 6 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday.

Investigators are particularly interested in speaking with the driver or occupants.

They have also urged motorists, residents and businesses in the area to check dash-cam footage, CCTV and doorbell cameras.

Even footage that appears insignificant could potentially help establish Bryan’s movements and what happened immediately before the collision.

A STUDENT HIS SCHOOL WILL NOT FORGET

Bryan was a sixth-year student at St Munchin’s College in Limerick.

His school community described him as kind, respectful and someone who would help others without complaint.

Deputy Principal Lorraine Shiels said Bryan should have been looking toward his Leaving Certificate, his future and the possibilities ahead of him.

Instead, the school was left mourning one of its students.

She described him as an “absolute gentleman” with “a lovely kindness” and “a big heart.”

The school opened its doors to students following the tragedy, offering them a place to grieve and support one another.

A FAMILY LEFT WAITING FOR ANSWERS

Bryan’s death has devastated his mother, siblings, friends and wider community.

His sister described the loss of the teenager as something she could barely put into words.

She said she wished he could simply call her and tell her that he was okay.

But that call will never come.

Instead, his family is left with photographs, memories and unanswered questions.

Gardaí continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision, including the reported claim that Bryan believed he was being followed.

For now, authorities have not publicly confirmed that the incident was deliberate or that anyone intended to take Bryan’s e-bike.

The investigation remains active.

And somewhere in the final moments of a 16-year-old boy’s life may be the information that explains what really happened on that road near Cloonlara.

Bryan was supposed to be preparing for his future. His family is now simply trying to understand why he never got the chance to live it.