Motorist killed at Mayo level crossing

A man was killed this morning when his car was hit by train at Straide level crossing, near Foxford, Co Mayo.

A man was killed this morning when his car was hit by train at Straide level crossing, near Foxford, Co Mayo.

The man, who was in his 60s, was on his own in the car when it was hit by the train at 11.00am. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Iarnród Éireann said the crash involved the 10.50am service from Ballina to Manulla junction and only one passenger and the driver was on board. Neither was injured.

The train driver was unable to stop in time after the car pulled out on to the tracks and after colliding with the vehicle carried on through the crossing for several hundred yards.

READ MORE

The level crossing, at the edge of farmland, has manually-operated iron gates at either side.

The man is the fourth killed in separate crashes throughout the country in the past 24 hours.

In Dublin, a man (46) died when his car crashed into a pole at 6.15pm yesterday on the Naas Road, Baldonnell. He was pronounced dead at Tallaght hospital.

In Co Cork a man (35) was killed when his SUV collided with another car on the Farran to Coachford road at around 7.30pm. The woman driving the other car escaped without serious injury.

A man (59) was killed after he was struck by a car while walking at Oranswell on the Galway-Moycullen road in Co Galway shortly after 8.30pm.