Motorcyclist dies and car found burnt out after Co Carlow crash
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A man in his 30s has died following a collision between a motorcycle and a car in Carlow shortly before 11pm on Wednesday.
Gardaí and emergency services responded to the incident on a local road between Rathoe and Ballon at Sandbook, and the motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene.
The car involved was found burnt out at the location and the occupants of the car failed to remain at the scene.
The body of the deceased remains at the scene, which is preserved for a full forensic and technical examination.
The road is currently closed to traffic.
The local Coroner and Office of the State Pathologist have been notified, and an autopsy will be arranged.
All the circumstances of this incident are being investigated, a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) has been appointed and an incident room has been established at Carlow Garda Station.
Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward, particularly those travelling in the area at the time who may have dash cam footage.
Anyone with information regarding this collision is urged to contact Carlow Garda Station at 059 913 6620, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
This latest incident comes as three motorcyclists were killed in separate crashes in Cork in the last four days while a cyclist was also killed in Dublin on Wednesday.
The deaths have sparked calls for tougher sanctions to bring back the "fear of penalty points".
So far in 2024, 69 people have died on the roads — 18 more than the same period in 2023, which itself was considered a tragic year for accidents.
Motorcycles account for approximately 1.5% of all vehicles on the roads yet so far in 2024, bikers have accounted for more than 10% of the deaths.