Man (80s) dies in Co Westmeath in fourth road fatality in 24 hours
A man in his 80s has died while several others have been taken to hospital following a two-vehicle road collision in Co Westmeath on Wednesday morning.
The collision occurred on the R394 at Gartlandstown, Castlepollard, Co Westmeath at about 5.30am.
The man who was a passenger was pronounced deceased at the scene.
It is the fourth road fatality in 24 hours, coming after a mother in her 40s and her young daughter were killed after their car was in collision with a lorry in Mayo on Tuesday evening.
Not long after, a man in his 50s was killed in a single-vehicle crash on the R395 at Teevrevagh, Castlepollard, Co Westmeath, near the location of the latest incident.
[ Mother (40s) and young daughter killed in crash in Co Mayo ]
The driver of the car, a woman in her 60s, has been taken to the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore for serious injuries.
A man in his 30s who was driving the second car involved, and a passenger in his 20s have been taken to the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar for treatment though his injuries are said to be non-life-threatening at this time.
The road is currently closed for technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators and local diversions are in place.
Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.
“Any road users who may have camera footage (including dashcam) and were travelling on the R394 between Mullingar and Castlepollard, Co Westmeath, between 4.45am and 5.45am this morning, Wednesday 3rd July, 2024, are asked to make this footage available to Gardaí,” a garda spokeswoman said.
Some 97 people have been killed on Irish roads so far this year, according to the latest data, an increase of 12 when compared to the same period in 2023.
Drivers accounted for 35 of those, followed by passengers (22), pedestrians (21), and motorcyclists (12).
Five fatalities were cyclists while the remaining two deaths involved an E-scooter.
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