Gardaí seek witnesses as two men die in separate road crashes

An elderly man died and his sister was injured when their car hit a ditch and rolled over on a remote country road in Clare yesterday.

The man in his 70s has been named locally as John Geoghegan with an address at Abbeyville in Ennis.

A Garda investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Mr Geoghegan’s sister, who lives in Limerick, was travelling in the car with him at the time and is recovering in hospital. Her injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

The collision occurred at around 12.10pm on the crest of a hill on a winding and remote country road at Tullagh, near Gortmore, about 9km from Ennis.

It’s understood that Mr Geoghegan and his sister had been returning to Ennis from a family gathering on Saturday night. HSE ambulance paramedics and gardaí were first to arrive at the scene where they discovered the car on its roof on the roadway.

Mr Geoghegan was pronounced dead at the scene while his sister was trapped in the upturned car.

Gardaí have confirmed they have not ruled out the possibility that Mr Geoghegan may have suffered a medical episode before the collision but an autopsy will need to take place.

Gardaí at Ennis have asked anyone who may have travelled the back road between Loughville on the N85 Ennis to Lahinch road and Inch on the R474 Ennis to Miltown Malbay road, to contact them if they have any information on 065 6848100.

Meanwhile in Roscommon, gardaí are investigating a fatal collision which claimed the life of a 28-year-old man.

The accident happened at Coolteige Cross at about 1.20am yesterday.

The man who died was driving a 4x4 which collided with a car and crashed into a field, hitting a concrete fence. The 23-year-old driver of the car and his 32-year-old female passenger were uninjured.

Gardaí appealed for any witnesses to contact Roscommon Garda Station on 090 6638341.

Meanwhile, a stray dog may have triggered a pile-up on Cork’s main ring road last night in which six people were injured.

Emergency workers said it was a miracle no one was seriously injured or killed in the seven-car smash. Several vehicles suffered extensive damage in the incident.

The accident happened just before 5pm on the east-bound ramp for the N40 South Ring Rd, just off the Kinsale Road roundabout.

Gardaí have launched an investigation but it is believed that a dog may have run out on to the road, triggering the pile-up.

Gardaí, several units of Cork City fire brigade and a fleet of ambulance rushed to the scene.