THREE PEOPLE have died and a young woman suffered minor injuries following crashes in Sligo, Laois and Roscommon.
A 60-year-old woman died in Co Sligo when the car she was driving left the road and entered a river on the Ballisodare Road at Carrowgubbdha shortly before 12.30am yesterday. She was the sole occupant of the car. The road was closed for some time while gardaí examined the scene.
A few hours later, at 7.45am, a man in his 40s died when the car he was driving collided with a van on the N80 at Moneyquid, Killeigh near Mountmellick, Co Laois. The van driver was taken to the Midland Regional Hospital, where his condition is said to be serious.
On Sunday night, a seven-month-old girl died in Temple Street hospital, Dublin, from injuries sustained in a collision on Friday.
Gardaí said the collision happened at 11.30pm when the car, which her 21-year-old mother was driving, left the road at Ballinphuill, Castlerea, Co Roscommon, and collided with a tree. The driver received minor injuries.
At the weekend, Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey called on motorists to make March the safest month yet on Irish roads.
The call came after February saw the lowest number of road deaths since records began 50 years ago. Sixteen people were killed on the State’s roads during the month, compared with 32 in February last year, 25 during February 2007 and 31 in 2006.
To date, 11 people were killed on the roads in March, while the total fatalities for the month last year stood at 19. Until yesterday, 45 people had lost their lives on the State’s roads this year, a fall of 19 on the same period last year.
