Teenage girl killed after van hits bullock

THREE people were killed in separate traffic accidents over the weekend including a Clare teenager who died when the vehicle in which she was travelling collided with a bullock.

The accident occurred near Clarecastle, Co Clare, shortly before 10.30pm on Saturday after the animal strayed onto a busy road at Barntick, about four miles from Ennis.

Brigid O’Brien, 19, from Coolmeen, Kilmurray McMahon, received fatal injuries after the van in which she was a front-seat passenger struck the bullock.

The teenager, who was known as Biddy to her friends, was rushed by ambulance to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Ennis but was pronounced dead an hour later.

The driver of the van, who is believed to be the girl’s boyfriend, sustained only minor injuries.

Gardaí confirmed that the owner of the animal, a local farmer, was interviewed at the scene shortly after the accident and is expected to be further questioned as the investigation continues.

Meanwhile, a young motorcyclist also died on Saturday night after his bike crashed into a wall at Knockaconny, Co Monaghan.

He was named yesterday as Martin Treanor, 24, from Glaslough, Co Monaghan. The accident happened some time before 9.45pm on the main Monaghan to Armagh road. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was later removed to Cavan General Hospital for a post-mortem examination later today.

In Sligo, a woman was killed in another single-vehicle accident when her car left the road and hit a ditch near Rosses Point in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The 20-year-old woman, who was named as Melissa McManus of Sea Park View, Strandhill, Co Sligo, received fatal injuries in the accident, which happened shortly before 4am at Creggconnell, Co Sligo.

Another woman travelling in the car sustained minor injuries.

The body of the victim was removed to Sligo General Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, four people had a lucky escape after a three-car collision near Doonbeg, Co Clare, on Saturday night.

Two units from the fire brigade in Kilrush and Kilkee were forced to use specialist cutting equipment to remove some of the drivers and passengers from the vehicles.

However, four people who were brought to hospital in Ennis were not seriously injured.

Gardaí in Kilrush, who are investigating the accident, have confirmed that the crash happened at the same junction where a Tipperary woman died on July 18 last after her car collided with a bus.

The latest deaths bring the total number of people to die on the roads so far this year to 241 - an increase of 17 on the corresponding period in 2003.