Number of new year road deaths increases to nine

A HORRIFIC weekend on the roads has seen the numbers killed in traffic accidents increase to nine — just 12 days into the new year.

Four people died in three separate accidents yesterday.

A 29-year-old man was killed when the car he was driving hit a ditch at Walsh Island in Co Offaly.

The man was alone in the car when the accident occurred. He was taken to Tullamore Hospital.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the gardaí at Tullamore.

In Co Wicklow, two bodies were recovered from the River Dargle after a man and woman were killed when their car overturned and plunged into the river on the Enniskerry to Bray road shortly before 11am.

The deceased woman is believed to be a Danish national who has lived here with her children for several years.

The male driver of the car was 20.

The section of road where the two were killed is known locally as the “bad bend.”

Both people were taken to Louglinstown Hospital.

Gardaí at Bray investigating the fatal accident have appealed for anyone with information about the incident to come forward.

And a 19-year-old man died when his car collided with another vehicle near Ashbourne in Co Meath at 3.20pm yesterday.

Meanwhile, the 81-year-old female pedestrian who died after she was struck by a car on Sandwich Street in Dublin on Friday has been named.

She was Louise Watson from Erne Terrace in Dublin 2.

Last night, the National Safety Council (NSC) urged drivers to take care on the roads.

“We have concerns about this number of fatalities so early in the year and it’s certainly up on last year,” NSC chief executive Pat Costello said.

Last year, 35 less people died in traffic accidents compared to 2002.