11 people killed on Irish roads in past week
Eleven people have died on the roads since last weekend — with nine since the RSA issued its annual festive safety message just five days ago.
The latest victim, a man in his 30s, died in Co Offaly yesterday when the car he was driving apparently lost control on a water-logged stretch of road near the village of Pollagh and veered into a flooded drain.
In what has been one of the bleakest Christmas periods on the roads in recent years, two people died in Christmas Day accidents and two died on St Stephen’s Day.
Most of the victims were under 30. The youngest, who died in Northern Ireland, was just seven.
“There is no doubt about it but it has been a very bad week on the roads,” an RSA spokesman said yesterday.
“A tragedy like this hitting a family is terrible at any time of the year, but particularly so at this time of the year, when it’s about celebrating family.
“Nobody ever thinks it will happen to them but in the last week alone, this tragedy has visited 11 families.
“We can only renew our appeal for people to stay safe on the roads. The dangers would appear to be highest for older pedestrians and younger drivers.”
The RSA released provisional figures last Tuesday which showed there had been 154 deaths on Irish roads to date — 37 less, or a 19% drop, compared to the same day in 2014.
But within hours, Geraldine Clancy, 58, and her daughter, Louise, 22, from Kilworth in Co Cork, would be dead after a freak accident just outside Fermoy.
In the early hours of the following day, a man in his early 20s died when the car in which he was a passenger left the road in Cornelstown in Co Meath.
On Christmas Day, Warren Kenny, 16, from Ballyfermot, was killed when the scrambler-type motorbike he was travelling on collided with a similar vehicle just after 8am near his home in Cherry Orchard.
Later that day, a 29-year-old male pedestrian was killed when he was struck by a car at around 7.20pm on the R448 road at Gorteengrone in Co Carlow.
On St Stephen’s Day, Fergal Reilly, 18, died when the car he was driving was in collision with a truck and a second car on the N55 Cavan-Granard road at Kilcogy, in Co Cavan.
Then just before 5pm, a young mother in her 20s died when the car she was driving struck a wall at Camblin, New Ross, in Co Wexford.
In Co Antrim, seven-year-old Jackson Turner, died yesterday in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast from injuries he sustained in a three-car collision at 6.30pm on St Stephen’s Day on the Old Carrick Road near Newtownabbey.
The driver of the car in which he was travelling remains seriously injured, while a four-year-old girl who was also in the car, is recovering from less serious injuries. Five other people were injured in the collision.
RSA chief executive, Moyagh Murdock, said while it is encouraging to see a downward trend in road deaths, it will come as little comfort to the families who lost relatives on the roads this year.
“I want to therefore renew our public appeal and ask everyone to take care on the roads and to also take ownership of road safety in your communities,” she said.
“This means slowing down, wearing the seatbelt, not using the mobile or drink driving.
“It means being seen if you are out walking, cycling or biking.”
And with more stormy weather forecast this week, she urged road users to take extra care.
RELATED: Most Irish roads have some surface or structural damage
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
