Six more road deaths bring toll to 325

IN THE immediate wake of an advertising campaign being launched to urge drivers to be more careful, six more lives were lost in traffic accidents.

It brought this year’s road- death toll so far to 325 people.

A 50-year-old man was killed in a road accident on the outskirts of Gort, Co Galway, yesterday. The motorcyclist was involved in a collision with a car at Glenbrack on the main Gort to Galway road shortly before 4pm. Gardaí said he died at the scene.

Gardaí have named those who died in the most recent accidents at Daly’s Cross in Limerick and Monasteroris, Co Offaly.

The latest occurred in Offaly when a car crashed into a pillar at 11pm on Friday.

He was 19-year-old Patrick Delaney, a passenger in a car that careered off the road and crashed at Monasteroris, Edenderry.

The young man was believed to have died at the scene shortly before the arrival of emergency crews.

The driver of the car was seriously injured and last night remained in hospital at Tullamore.

Gardaí closed off the road to conduct a full technical examination. Officers in Edenderry have asked anybody with information to contact them on 046 9731290.

In Limerick, meanwhile, gardaí named the two victims of a Friday evening crash on the main Dublin road. Both victims were from Limerick. They were Patrick Hartnett, aged 41, from Alder Close, Elm Park, Castletroy, and Ross McInerney, aged 23, from Cathedral Villas, Garryowen.

The crash happened at Daly’s Cross, where a petrol station and a junction leading to Lough Derg flank the main N8 roadway.

On Saturday, gardaí also confirmed the name of the man who died in a crash at Rochfordbridge, Co Westmeath on December 9.

He was Philip Brady from Ballyreehan, Ballianalee, Co Longford.

Gardaí are investigating a fatal road traffic incident that happened at approximately 5pm on December 8 at Stafford St, Nenagh, Co Tipperary.

A 68-year-old female pedestrian was injured in the single vehicle incident. She was removed to Nenagh General Hospital and later transferred to Cork Regional Hospital where she was pronounced dead yesterday.

Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to contact Nenagh Garda Station on 067 50450.

Gardaí from Santry Garda Station are investigating a fatal road collision on the M50 motorway in Dublin last Thursday at 9.50am.

The collision involved a blue Audi car and a Scania truck. The driver of the car was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 4.15pm yesterday.

Although 325 people have already died on the country’s roads this year, it remains a drop on 2006, when 365 people lost their lives in traffic accidents.

Last week, the Road Safety Authority launched a campaign spearheaded by four television adverts featuring families who lost people in crashes.