FOUR MEN have been killed in separate car crashes since the start of the Easter weekend.
One man was killed on Saturday, while three others died on Friday, the day after Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey announced that March had been the safest month on the roads since records began.
Andrew Casey (24), Ballygoman, Barntown, Co Wexford, a grand-nephew of retired Bishop of Galway Eamon Casey, was killed in the early hours of Saturday as he returned by bicycle to the scene of his own broken-down car. He was the first cyclist to be killed on the roads this year.
Mr Casey had been returning home at 2am when his car broke down at Ardcanvass Bridge, Killurin, Wexford. He took a taxi the remainder of the journey.
He was returning to the scene by bicycle in an effort to restart the car when an oncoming vehicle hit his parked car pushing it to the opposite side of the road where it struck Mr Casey.
He was removed by ambulance to Wexford General Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
The driver of the second car was taken to Wexford General Hospital. His injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
On Friday, a 67-year-old pedestrian died after he was hit by a car at Julianstown, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny at about 10.30pm. He was taken by ambulance to St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny but later died. Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to the incident.
Earlier on Friday afternoon, a man in his 70s was killed when his car collided with a four-wheeled drive vehicle and a lorry on a dangerous stretch of road between the villages of Dunleer and Collon in Co Louth. The crash forced the Ford Mondeo car being driven by the man off the road and into a field.
As well as linking the two villages, the road allows motorists to cross from the N2 and head eastwards to an on-ramp for the M1 motorway. It is often used by trucks and lorries. There were four passengers in the 4x4 but none suffered serious injury.
In Co Limerick, a man died in the early hours of Friday after his car went out of control and crashed into a tree near his home. The crash occurred at about 2.10am at Killuragh on the Pallasgreen road.
The man, who has been named locally as Séamus Maher (30), died instantly. No other vehicle was involved and he was alone in the car at the time. Gardaí are investigating the possibility he may have experienced a blackout.
Gardaí from Bruff and two units of the fire brigade from Cappamore were at the scene within minutes while a paramedic ambulance from Limerick city was also sent to the incident.
Eleven people were killed in crashes last month making it the safest month on roads since records began more than 50 years ago.