Five killed in road accidents over weekend

FIVE people - three women and two men - were killed on the nation's roads over the weekend and a teenager was fighting for his life last night after being knocked down.

The deaths bring to 133 the number of people killed on the Republic's roads so far this year - an increase of 25 on the same period last year.

Figures on the garda website last night showed that 108 people died on the roads between January 1 and April 21 last year.

A woman died in the early hours of yesterday after the black Opel Corsa in which she was travelling alone left the main Dublin to Cork N8 road at Coolagarranroe, Skeheenarinky, in Co Tipperary.

She was named locally as Suzanne Sheehan, from Upper Cork Street, Mitchelstown, Co Cork.

Gardaí were called to the scene close to the Black Road, about half a mile on the Cahir side of Skeheenarinky, just after 3.30am but a garda spokesman said the accident may have taken place some time earlier.

He appealed for people who travelled on the N8 in that area between 2am and 3.30am and who may have seen the car to contact them.

In Kerry, two people were killed in a crash between a car and a minibus on Saturday night, bringing to four the number of people killed on the county's roads since last Tuesday.

The driver of the car, Trevor Chute, aged 23, of Ballygologue Park, Listowel, and his female passenger, Eileen Keane, 18, of Well Road, Ballylongford, died at the scene after the crash at a junction near Ballyduff in the townland of Ardoughter at about 9.45pm.

The driver of the minibus was taken to Kerry General Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries.

In Navan, Karl Strong, 20, of Windy Arbour, Athboy, died when the car he was driving hit a grass verge at Proudstown at about 11.30pm on Friday.

Tallaght gardaí are still investigating an accident which claimed the life of a 28-year-old woman, also on Friday night. She died when two cars collided at Mount Seskin Road, Brittas, Co Dublin, at about 8pm.

Five other people who were taken to Tallaght and St James's Hospitals were recovering from their injuries last night.

And a 16-year-old boy was in a serious condition in St Vincent's Hospital last night after he was knocked down in south Dublin on Saturday night.

The pedestrian was struck by a car on Booterstown Avenue in the south of the city about 11.30pm.