Man (24) in fatal single vehicle crash in Kerry named

A 24-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene when his car left the road and crashed into a wall on the main Tralee to Listowel road near the village of Kilflynn shortly before 10pm on Saturday night.

The dead man has been named locally as Maurice O’Donoghue of Mountcoal, Listowel, a short distance from where the fatal collision took place.

The accident occurred on the brow of a slight hill on a wide section of the N69, midway between Tralee and Listowel.

Mr O’Donoghue was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

Two units of the fire service, two ambulances and gardaí from Listowel and Tralee attended the scene.

Mr O'Donoghue's body was removed to Kerry General Hospital where a postmortem is to take place.

Mike Parker in Kilflynn said the community was in shock. Mr O’Donoghue was one of three children and the family have close connections with Crotta O’Neill’s hurling club .

Mr O’Donoghue’s uncle Paddy Weir is chairman of the Crotta O’Neill’s hurling club and his first cousin Sean Weir is a senior Kerry hurler.

The driver of a car who was one of the first on the scene said the accident occurred on the Tralee side of the Kerry Bog Village and it appears the driver was coming from Tralee. Conditions on the road were good at the time.

Gardaí said the crash occurred in Glenballyma, Kilflynn, Tralee, Co Kerry at approximately 9.45pm.

The road was closed for a period of time but has since reopened. The scene remains preserved.

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to the crash to contact Tralee Garda Station on 066 7102300, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666111 or any Garda Station.