Road safety boss warns drivers after five tragic deaths

Moyagh Murdock, chief executive of the Road Safety Authority, issued her plea after the worst weekend on our roads so far this year left five people dead in three separate incidents.

Martin Brophy (20), Orla Curry (20) and Angela Kelly (35) all died in a crash outside Rathdowney, Co Laois in the early hours of Sunday. Angela's nephew, Jamie (16), also suffered serious injuries.

In Donegal 21-year-old John Hegarty died when the car in which he was a back-seat passenger crashed into a bollard at Carnashannagh, near Burnfoot, just after 11.30pm on Sunday.

And a pedestrian in his 20s died at 3.30am yesterday when he was struck by a van at Blossomhill on the N21 Croagh to Rathkeale Road in Co Limerick.

READ MORE:

"If we are to take anything from such loss of life it is that we must never forget just how dangerous a place the road can be, and how in a split second a routine journey can end in tragedy," said Ms Murdock.

"I would appeal to all road users to remember this when setting a foot or wheel on the road."

READ MORE: