Weekend road carnage takes death toll to 211

The death toll on Irish roads reached 211 today following seven fatalities over the weekend.

In the latest incidents, two men died in separate early morning collisions in Co Cork and Co Clare.

Last night a couple and their three-year-old daughter were killed in a two-car smash outside Athenry, Co Galway, at 7.30pm.

Earlier, an 11-year-old girl died when the car in which she was a passenger overturned on the Longford to Kilashee road at 5pm.

Gardaí named her today as Michelle Glancy of Clonterm, Longford.

The first fatality of the weekend was a male pedestrian, aged 22, who was struck by a car in Carrickboy, Co Longford, at 2am yesterday.

He was named as Patrick Higgins of Drumming, Ardagh, Co Longford.

In today’s incidents, a man in his 20s died in a two-vehicle collision on the N22 at Crossmahon, Lissarda, near Macroom, at 8.10am.

The other male driver was taken to Cork University Hospital but is not believed to be seriously injured.

Three hours earlier another male in his 50s was killed when the car in which he was a passenger, struck a bridge at Bealaha Doonbeg, Co Clare.

The driver of the car is receiving treatment at Ennis General Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Meanwhile, the Garda Accident Investigations Unit is continuing to probe yesterday’s tragedy in which a man in his 30s, a woman in her 20s and their three-year-old daughter died.

The head-on collision occurred at a crossroads on the Craughwell-Athenry road.

The man and the woman died at the scene. The young girl was taken to University College Hospital in Galway but was pronounced dead on arrival.

The family is believed to have been living in Loughrea but their identity will not be revealed until later today. The man, who was the driver of the car, is believed to be a native of the Ballinasloe area.

The woman, a front seat passenger, is from Loughrea.

Three people who were in the second car sustained minor injuries and were taken to hospital in Galway.

The 211 road deaths so far in 2006 is a 16% increase on the number for the same period last year.