Three people were killed in separate road collisions in the east of the country on Thursday.
The first fatal incident happened at around 12.20pm when a motorcycle and a van were involved in a collision on the Kells Road in Navan, Co Meath.
The motorcyclist, a man in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene before his body was removed to Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan for a postmortem. The driver of the van was not injured.
The road has since reopened after forensic collision experts completed an examination of the scene.
The second incident occurred in Clane, Co Kildare at around 12.30pm when a pedestrian was struck by a lorry on the village’s Main Street. The woman, understood to be in her early 80s, was taken by ambulance to Naas General Hospital and was later pronounced dead.
The road was closed while a technical examination of the scene took place.
Meanwhile, a bin collector was fatally injured after being struck by a refuse lorry in a housing estate in Tallaght at around 4.25pm.
It is understood the victim, a man in his 30s, who was fatally injured while the vehicle was collecting refuse at Dún an Óir, Oldbawn. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and a postmortem will be carried out at a later date. The road was closed while forensic collision investigators examined the scene.
Gardaí said the Health and Safety Authority and the local coroner had been notified of the incident. The force appealed to anyone who witnessed any of the fatal collisions to contact them.
The fatalities bring the number of people killed on the State’s roads so far this year to 44, nine more than in the corresponding period last year.