Road safety groups braced for worst after six fatalities
Gardaí and road safety groups are bracing themselves for the forthcoming August Bank Holiday weekend after six people died within 24 hours on Saturday.
A nationwide blitz on speed and drink-driving will be launched mid-week to help curb the current 2005 death toll of 216.
In the latest fatality this weekend, a 22-year old motorcyclist died in a crash with a car outside Gorey, Co Wexford shortly around 7pm last evening.
Mark Clare from neary Glenogue, Coolgreany was pronounced dead at the scene at Monaseed Demesne and his body was taken to Wexford General Hospital for a post mortem exam.
A 28-year-old woman in her late 20s also lost her life in a single vehicle accident in Ballymahon Co Longford last night.
She was named by gardai as Eva Butler from River Valley Drive, Swords, Co. Dublin.
On Saturday morning, 24-year-old Thomas O’Brien of Kilroe, Kanturk died in a two car collision at Bettyville on the Mallow Road near Kanturk in Co Cork.
Two other men were injured in the incident.
A 70-year-old woman was also killed when the car she was travelling in collided with another car Balla in Co Mayo yesterday morning.
She was named as Julie Fitzgerald of Aisling Manor, Balla.
In the early hours of Saturday, a 33-year-old man was killed when the the car he was driving struck a wall in Market Street, Skibbereen at around 1.50am.
He was named by gardaí as Christopher Hunt from Ardagh, Church Cross, Skibbereen.
Around the same time in Co Wicklow a 27-year-old local man died when the car he was driving struck a pole on the Bray road just outside Greystones at about 1am.
Gardaí named him as Fran Mitchell from Sea View, Redford Park, Greystones.
