Three killed in road crashes
Two teenage girls and a pensioner became the latest victims of the roads when they were killed in separate crashes today.
The two girls died when the car in which they were travelling lost control and crashed into a pole on the main N6 road, near Kilrickle village in Co Galway.
No other vehicle was involved in the horrific smash shortly after 2.30pm, according to investigating gardai at Loughrea.
They were among seven people in the car when it careered off the busy national road.
Three of the survivors were taken to Portiuncula Hospital while two others were taken to Galway University Hospital.
The road was seal off after the crash as diversions were put into place.
Earlier, a pensioner was killed when the car he was driving collided with a van.
The 72-year-old man died in the crash at 10am on the Ennis-Ennistymon bypass in Co Clare.
Gardaí at Ennis garda station are investigating.
Meanwhile, provisional statistics from gardai revealed 564 suspected drink-drivers were detected over the last week.
Officers revealed a massive jump in drivers caught between St Patrick’s Day and Easter Sunday, compared to 390 drivers stopped at checkpoints during the previous week.
Motorists had been warned that garda patrols would be heightened over the two Bank Holiday weekends.
A spokesman said: “Garda enforcement activities in this area of road safety will continue to be prioritised.”
