One man was killed and a second man was fatally injured in a collision involving a lorry and two cars on the main Cork-Mallow road about six miles from Cork city early yesterday.
The crash happened at around 9.50 a.m. at Ballygibbon when a car travelling towards Cork was in collision with the lorry travelling towards Mallow.
A second car travelling towards Cork was also hit by the lorry following the initial impact. Gardaí said driving conditions were good while the stretch of road where the accident happened is relatively straight.
Emergency services went to the scene and firefighters from Cork City Fire Brigade backed up by two units from Mallow had to use cutting equipment to remove the dead and injured from the two cars following the crash.
The driver of the first car, a man in his late 20s from Co Clare, was pronounced dead at the scene while his passenger, a man in his late 20s from Limerick, was taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital, but died later from his injuries.
The occupants of the second car, a woman driver and her male and female passengers, were taken to hospital in Cork but it is understood their injuries were not life-threatening. The driver of the lorry was treated for shock.
Gardaí were last night waiting to notify the next of kin of both deceased before releasing their names. The deaths bring to 22 the number of people killed on Irish roads this month and they bring the death toll for the year to 174.
Gardaí immediately cordoned off the scene of the crash for over four hours as officers examined the area while the three vehicles involved in the accident were removed for examination by Garda PSV inspectors.
A motorcyclist, who was killed following a collision with a lorry in Co Wexford over the weekend, has been named as 28-year-old Mr Tomás Ryan. Mr Ryan, a single man from Kilscanlon, Foulksmills, was killed when his motorbike was involved in a head-on collision with a lorry at around 8.30 p.m. on Sunday.
The accident occurred at Dunmain on the main New Ross to Fethard-on-Sea road, a few miles from the village of Campile. The lorry driver was uninjured.Gardaí in Campile yesterday appealed for witnesses to the accident to come forward.
Gardaí yesterday named the second victim of the fatal road traffic accident at Ballinamesseda, Co Wicklow, which occurred on Saturday. He was 23- year-old Mr Christian Lee, Rathvilly, Co Carlow.