Dept liaising with families of Rome hit-and-run victims

The Department of Foreign Affairs is liaising with the families of the two young Irish women who were killed during a hit-and-run in Rome earlier this week.

The families of 28-year-old Elizabeth Anne Gubbins and 29-year-old Mary Claire Collins have travelled to the Italian capital to begin the process of bringing their bodies home for burial.

The two women, from Co Limerick and Co Kildare, were struck by a car in central Rome earlier this week while returning to their hotel following a night out celebrating St Patrick's Day.

The 32-year-old driver, who was found to be more than four times over the legal alcohol limit, appeared in court yesterday charged with manslaughter and failure to stop and offer assistance.

Reports this morning say it could be up to 10 days before the two victims' bodies are released to their families.