Ireland 'at a critical juncture' regarding road safety after five deaths in 48 hours
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A man in his 20s has died following a single-vehicle crash in Navan on Sunday night, becoming the fifth person killed between the early hours of Saturday morning and Sunday night.
Investigating gardaí are appealing for witnesses to the crash, which happened on the R161 Trim to Navan Road at Philpotstown near Navan shortly before 10pm.
The driver and sole occupant of the car, a man in his 20s, was treated at the scene and brought by ambulance to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda where he was later pronounced deceased.
The scene was preserved overnight, and local traffic diversions remain in place pending examination of the scene on Monday morning by Garda forensic collision investigators. The local coroner has been notified, and an autopsy will be arranged.
Road users who may have camera footage — including dash-cam — and were travelling on the R161 road between Navan and Trim between 9.30pm and 10pm on Sunday have been asked to make this footage available to investigating gardaí.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Navan Garda Station on 046 9079930, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
The fatality means that 113 have now lost their lives on the country's roads so far in 2024.
On Sunday afternoon, two other men, both aged in their 30s, were killed in a separate three-vehicle collision in Co Meath.
The collision, which involved motorcycles, happened on the R195 road at Bellaney at around 4.40pm.
Gardaí said two other men were taken to hospital with injuries, with one man sustaining "serious" injuries in the incident.
On Saturday, a teenage boy died following a collision involving a car and an e-scooter in Co Kilkenny.
The collision occurred shortly after 6pm along the Tullaroan road, Bonnettstown.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, a man in his 40s died in a single-vehicle crash in the townland of Ballynamora in Co Cork.
Emergency services attended the scene of crash shortly after 1.30am on Saturday.
The victim, a man in his 40s, was one of six people — four men and two women who are all known to each other — in the car which was being driven on the L3201 from Kinsale towards Innishannon when the incident occurred near Kinsale Golf Course.
The car apparently went out of control, struck a sign and then hit a tree stump.
Gardaí, fire and ambulance crews rushed to the scene but the man in his 40s, who has since been named locally as Finbarr Coleman, 40, from Innishannon, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the car, a man in his 30s, was subsequently arrested.
Anyone with information on any of these incidents should contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or their local Garda station.
The Taoiseach said that the country is "now at a critical juncture" with regard to road deaths in Ireland.
“As a country, we had made significant progress in reducing the number of people losing their lives on Irish roads in recent years. That progress is at risk. These are not statistics, they are lost lives and shattered families."
He added: "We must take steps – as individuals, as communities, as a country – to reverse the trend and prevent more lives being lost.
“Government will play its part and will take the necessary steps, but we need the help of every driver across the country.
“As we approach the August Bank Holiday weekend, I am urging everyone to slow down, put the phone away and never ever take a drink or drugs before getting into a car. Lives can be saved by taking these simple but important steps to help keep each other safe.”
Speaking on Monday, Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys said that it is “disturbing news” to hear about so many people losing their lives on the roads this year.
“It’s something that we all need to be more and more aware of, that we cannot drink and drive, we can’t take drugs and drive. It’s about creating awareness,” Ms Humphreys said, citing the number of ongoing road safety campaigns.
“We will continue to try and raise awareness around safe driving. It’s very sad for all the families that have been impacted over the weekend and our thoughts are with them.”
Ms Humphreys said that the Government are “prepared to look at anything” to reduce road traffic deaths, citing the ongoing plan to cut speed limits around the country.
“We need to look behind the figures as to why these accidents are happening. We don’t always hear at the time because of the sensitivities involved, but I do think we need to examine why so many accidents are happening on our roads.
“Is it use of a mobile phone? Is it drink driving? Is it drug driving? Is it tiredness? There are so many things that cause accidents.
“It’s about making people aware and taking responsibility for their own actions as well.”