Road accidents claim three lives

Three young men died today in separate car crashes around the country, it has emerged.

A pedestrian, aged in his 20s, was killed after being hit by a car on the Waterford Road in Kilkenny.

The victim was rushed by ambulance to St Luke’s Hospital with serious injuries around 6am but was later pronounced dead.

In Co Cavan, an 18-year-old man died when the car he was travelling in veered off the N55 road at Dundevan, Kilcogy.

A 16-year-old boy also in the car at the time was critically injured.

Gardaí said that no other car was involved in the collision, which occurred just after midnight.

Another young man was killed after the car he was driving and a second car were in collision on the N7.

The 22-year-old was travelling southbound on the Naas Road dual carriageway at Rathcoole in Co Dublin.

His passenger, a 25-year-old woman, and the driver of the other car, a 28-year-old man, were injured in the collision, at around 1.15am.

They were taken by ambulance to Tallaght Hospital where the younger driver was later pronounced dead.

Diversions were put in place after the major route was closed down for a technical examination.

Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to any of the crashes to get in contact with them.