Passenger killed when car collides with tractor

A 21-YEAR-OLD front seat passenger died after the car he was travelling in collided with a tractor, and in a separate weekend accident two teenage girls were killed when a van struck a tree.

Martin Hickey died in hospital shortly after he was injured in a crash on the outskirts of Charleville, Co Cork.

The Nissan Sunny he was travelling in collided with a tractor at Kippane, on the Newtownshandrum road shortly before 8.30pm on Saturday.

Mr Hickey, who came from the nearby village of Milford, died in Mallow General Hospital. The driver of the car, also 21-years- old and from the Milford area, was taken to Cork University Hospital where he is in a stable condition. He is understood to be

suffering from leg injuries.

Mr Hickey worked at BCD, an engineering company in Charleville. In his earlier years he played both football and hurling at underage level with Milford.

He is survived by his father Richard snr, an Iarnrod Éireann employee; his mother Rita; brothers Andrew, Simon, Richard jnr; twin sister Margaret and

sister Julie.

Hundreds of people are expected to attend his removal which will take place at 8.30 tonight from Hawe’s Funeral Home, Charleville, to the Church of the

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Milford.

Following requiem mass at 2pm tomorrow, Mr Hickey will be buried in Newtown New Cemetery.

Gardaí in Charleville are appealing to anybody who witnessed the accident to contact them on (063) 81222.

Meanwhile, two girls aged 14 and 15 died when the van in which they were travelling struck a gatepost and careered into a tree in Co Antrim.

Two youths who were

also in the van were rushed to hospital where their

condition was said to be critical. Another girl who was in the van was treated for shock and whiplash

injuries.

The girls’ deaths bring to 18 the number of people killed on roads in the north so far this year.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has

appealed for witnesses to the crash to contact them.