Road crashes claim four lives over weekend

FOUR PEOPLE died over the weekend as a result of road crashes, bringing the total number of road deaths so far this year to 235.

A Garda spokesman said that a 24-year-old woman lost her life when the car in which she was a passenger crashed in Co Laois in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The vehicle collided with the side of a building shortly before 3am, at Rossleaghan, Portlaoise.

The 26-year-old male driver of the car was taken to Portlaoise General Hospital with serious injuries.

Also on Saturday, a 36-year-old man died as a result of a crash at around midday on the R363 at Slanemore, Ballynacargy in Co Westmeath.

The four-wheel drive the man was driving hit a post in front of a house.

He was taken to the Midlands Regional Hospital at Mullingar where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

In the early hours of Sunday morning a 19-year-old driver died in a crash in Co Cork.

The incident happened at Manch West, Dunmanway, shortly before 1am.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The main Dunmanway to Bandon road remained closed yesterday while gardaí carried out a forensic examinations of the crash scene.

Gardaí also yesterday confirmed the death of an 80-year-old man who was involved in a serious car collision in Co Kerry on Wednesday afternoon.

The man, who was the driver of a car which collided with a lorry at about 4pm at Garranearagh, Caherciveen, was taken to Kerry General Hospital with serious injuries, along with a woman who was travelling with him.

The driver of the truck was taken to Cork University Hospital.

The elderly man died on Friday night, gardaí said.

According to provisional figures which have been issued for road deaths, so far this year 231 people had been killed in the State up to 9am on Friday. The figure was 34 lower than on the corresponding date in 2007.