Two die in Kerry, Dublin traffic incidents

A man and a woman have died in separate traffic incidents in Dublin and Kerry.

A 70-year-old female pedestrian died this afternoon after she was hit by a van on the N 81 Tallaght Bypass at the junction of the Old Bawn Road.

She was taken to Tallaght Hospital and then transferred to Beaumont Hospital where she died this evening. Gardai­ are appealing for witnesses to contact Tallaght Garda station on 01-666 6000.

Earlier, a man in his 70s died in a collision in Co Kerry.

He was the sole occupant of one of two cars involved in the collision on the R577 between Scartaglen and Ballydesmond at about 3.15pm. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Garda spokesman said the three occupants of the second vehicle, a van, were taken to Tralee General Hospital with injuries described as minor.

“This stretch of road is currently closed for an examination by Garda forensic collision investigators and local diversions are in place,” the spokesman said.

Gardaí in Tralee are seeking witnesses to the crash.

A total of 117 people have died on the State’s roads so far this year - 11 more than had died by the same time last year.