A man in his 80s has died and five people were injured after three cars collided on the M7 near Portlaoise.
The crash occurred at 7.15pm on the Bank Holiday Monday evening near the intersection of the M7 and M8 motorways south of Portlaoise.
The man who died was the sole occupant of the car, which collided with two other vehicles. He was taken to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) in a serious condition, but later died.
The driver of the second vehicle, a man in his 40s, was seriously injured and was taken to UHL along with a female passenger, also in her 40s. The woman’s injuries are described as non-life-threatening.
A man driving a third car along with a female passenger and a child were taken to Cork University Hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
The road remains closed while Garda forensic collision investigators are at the scene. Local diversions are in place.
Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to come forward.
Any road users who were travelling on the M7 this evening between 7pm and 7.30pm and who may have camera footage (including dash cam footage) is asked to make it available to gardaí.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Portlaoise Garda station on (057) 8674100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
Gardaí are also investigating the deaths of two men in two road crashes which occurred on Monday and Sunday.
In Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath a man is his 70s was killed when the tractor he was driving crashed on the Mullingar Road early on Monday morning.
Gardaí were called to the incident at about 7.50am. The pensioner was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident followed another fatal crash in Clogheen, Co Tipperary on Sunday afternoon.
A man in his 80s sustained fatal injuries when the car he was driving crashed into a tree at Loughlin’s Bridge at about 2.40pm.
He received treatment at the scene but was later pronounced dead.
The man's body was removed to the mortuary at Waterford University Hospital for postmortem.
Garda forensic collision investigators attended both incidents.
Gardaí have appealed for any witnesses or anyone with dash cam footage of the areas around the times of the collisions to come forward.
