Cyclist and driver killed in traffic collision

TWO men died and a third had a miraculous escape in two road accidents at the weekend.

In Co Dublin, 61-year-old cyclist Thomas Masterson, of Woodbine Drive, Raheny, Dublin, died following a collision with a car on the Howth Road near its junction with Offington.

The car was also in collision with a taxi. The male driver of the car, 23-year-old Barry Dunne, of Casana View, Howth,Co Dublin, subsequently died in Beaumont Hospital.

The five occupants of the taxi were taken to the Mater and Beaumont hospitals. All five were discharged after being treated for minor injuries. The accident happened at around 3.15am yesterday morning. The Howth Road remained closed for a period.

In Co Waterford, the driver of a green Toyota Corolla had a miraculous escape when his car left the road and ended up perilously close to the cliff edge on Cliff Road, Tramore. Despite being perched above a 100ft drop, the driver managed to get out of the car and phoned for help from his sister’s house nearby.

The accident happened around 10.20am yesterday morning. A garda spokesperson said no one else was involved. The driver was not injured.

“It appears the driver lost control as he was travelling out the road. The conditions were wet and windy,” the spokesperson said.

The weekend’s two fatalities brings to 88 the number of people killed on Irish roads since the start of the year.