Pedestrian dies in road traffic crash in Co Offaly

A man in his 50s has been killed in a road traffic crash in Co Offaly.

The pedestrian was hit by a car at approximately 10.50am on Clonmeen Cross Road near Rhode Village.

The driver of the car, a man in his 60s, was taken to hospital with injuries.

The road is closed while forensic collision investigators examine the scene. Local diversions have been put in place.

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Gardaí in Tullamore are appealing for witnesses who may have been in the area at the time of the incident and can provide information should contact Tullamore Garda Station on 057 9327600, the Garda Confidential line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.

It brings to 73 the number of people killed on Irish roads to date this year - four more than at this time last year.

The number of people killed on Irish roads in 2018 was 146 - the lowest on record.

It is a 68 per cent decrease on the figure of 458 deaths recorded in 1998 when the first Road Safety Authority (RSA) established Ireland's first road safety strategy.

Ireland’s road fatality rate of 30 deaths per million of population in 2018 is well ahead of the European average of 50 deaths per million of population.

The RSA said there will be a new road safety strategy to run from 2021 and 2030.

Speaking at a conference on Thursday, RSA chief executive Moyagh Murdock said that, despite the record low last year, a further 15 per cent decrease in fatalities was needed to reach the current 2020 road strategy target of 125 deaths per year.

A secondary provisional target in the 2013-2020 strategy to reduce injuries by 30 per cent from 472 in 2011 to 330 in 2020 is also unlikely to be met.

Ms Murdock said; “I think we have to accept that the target may be missed”.