Weekend accidents claim lives of eight people

Six people died on the State's roads at the weekend, while accidents in the North claimed two more lives.

Six people died on the State's roads at the weekend, while accidents in the North claimed two more lives.

A 10-year-old boy was killed last night when a car driven by his sister collided with another vehicle on the Moy Road in Dungannon, Co Tyrone. The sister and the family in the other car were not seriously hurt.

Earlier a Co Antrim man was charged with causing the death of another man killed in a hit-and-run accident in Larne. The 41-year-old man was walking on the Antiville Road just before 2 a.m. on Saturday when he was struck by a car. He was named as Ivor Jordan Martin from Larne.

A 31-year-old was charged with causing death by dangerous driving. He was also accused of refusing to give police a sample of breath or blood, failing to stop at the scene of a road accident, and failing to remain at the scene. He is due to appear at Larne Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

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The latest deaths in the Republic bring the total so far this year to 370, 44 more than last year. With 11 days yet to go, the annual road deaths total looks likely to be the highest since 2001, when 411 died.

A 30-year-old man who was killed in a two-car collision in Co Limerick on Saturday evening was the second person to die on roads in the county this week. He was from the Galbally area and married recently. His wife was also injured in the crash which happened at Burke's Cross on the road between Galbally and Mitchelstown. The driver of the other car was taken to hospital but is expected to make a full recovery.

An accident in Roscommon on Saturday morning claimed two lives. Mr Martin Connor (44), from Mantua, Castlerea, Co Roscommon, and Ms Teresa Smyth (50), from Corrolough, Williamstown, Co Galway, were killed when their car collided with another near Tulsk.

Mr Rory Gallagher (21), from St Bridget's Crescent, Drumkeen, Co Donegal, was fatally injured at Stranorlar, Co Donegal, early on Saturday. Another male occupant of the car was injured.

A 24-year-old female driver died after her car struck a tree in Plodstown near Mullingar at 4.15 a.m. on Saturday. Gardaí named her as Ms Irene Grall, from Oldcastle, Co Meath.

Meanwhile, the man killed on Friday in a crash at Drough, Kilreekil, Loughrea in Co Galway was named as Alan Murray (40) from Coolock, Dublin. As a teenager, Murray was convicted of killing Father Seamus Murphy (62) in Phibsboro in 1981. In 2000, he was convicted for threatening a volunteer counsellor. He was granted early release but breached the conditions set by the prison authorities and was jailed again. He was released about two months ago.