Gardaí hunt hit-and-run driver as four die in weekend road accidents

GARDAÍ are hunting for the driver of a car who fled the scene after knocking down and fatally injuring a pedestrian.

Paul Fitzgerald died after being struck as he walked along the main Mullingar to Dublin road late on Saturday night. The driver left the vehicle at the scene and fled on foot. Gardaí in Mullingar are confident they will find the driver as the car was not stolen.

Mr Fitzgerald, aged 37, of Riversdale, Raharney, Co Westmeath, was walking along the road close to Greatdowns outside Mullingar around 10pm when he was fatally hit. He was one of four people killed on the roads at the weekend, bringing the number of fatalities so far this year to 286.

The first fatal accident happened on Saturday near Kildimo in Co Limerick. A 41-year-old male driver died when his car hit the wall of a house on the main road to Listowel at Glenameade, Pallaskenry.Gardaí in Co Cavan are investigating an accident at 5.30am yesterday when a car hit a pole at Rathardrum, Virginia. The 20-year-old male driver was killed and a male passenger of the same age was seriously injured.

Thurles gardaí are investigating a head-on collision between two cars at 1.30pm yesterday at Killkilahara which resulted in the death of a female rear seat passenger. The driver and front seat passenger of the same car were taken to Nenagh Hospital. The driver of the other car was transferred to Cork University Hospital.

Gardai in Cork have named the 17-year-old driver who died in a single vehicle collision on Friday at Knocknacurragh, Boherbue, as Mick Cronin from Kiskeam, Mallow.

In Kerry, meanwhile, several people have been interviewed during the continuing garda investigation into the death of a 67-year-old bachelor farmer in the Dingle Peninsula.

Officially, gardaí are treating the death of James Griffin as ‘suspicious’ but no arrests have yet been made.

The body of Mr Griffin was found in the bedroom of his home, in which he lived alone, at Ballinasteanig, Lispole, on Wednesday last.

He was last seen in the early hours of Monday morning when he arrived home in a taxi from Dingle, where he had earlier attended a disco with a group of people in a local hotel.

Gardaí have declined to comment on reports that Mr Griffin may have sustained head injuries in an incident on the street, early on Monday. He is believed to have died in his bed.