Gardaí appeal for witnesses after fatal hit-and-run in Co Cork

Gardaí are investigating two fatal collisions that occured in the early hours of Tuesday in Cork and Clare.

A man (34) died in east Co Cork after being injured in a hit-and-run incident along the N25 Cork-Rosslare road at around 1.50am.

The man, understood to be a 34-year-old from Blackpool on Cork's northside, was hit by a car that failed to stop on the west bound section of the dual carriageway at Tullagreine near Cobh Cross outside Carrigtwohill.

Gardaí were alerted when a caller phoned to say they had seen a man walking on the westbound lane of the road. Gardaí responded quickly but by the time that they got to the scene, they found the man lying seriously injured west of Cobh Cross.

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The emergency services were alerted and paramedics attended to the man but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gardaí found debris at the scene and hope to establish the make, model and colour of the car from the recovered material.

Investigators are also trying to establish the last known movements of the deceased and where he was walking to when he was hit by the vehicle.

Officers are checking if the deceased may have been involved in a single vehicle collision earlier after a Toyota Avensis crashed on the Fota Road.

The Toyota, which was fitted with three space saver tyres, hit a wall at the Slatty Bridge near Bramley Lodge.

Abandoned car

The car was abandoned and gardaí are trying to establish if the victim of the hit and run left the damaged car and was walking back to Cork when he was hit.

The scene of the fatal hit and run on the N25 is around 750m from where the Toyota Avensis was found damaged and abandoned.

The N25 has been partly closed and diversions put in place to allow a forensic crash investigator examine the scene to try and establish what happened. There is currently no description of the vehicle involved in the hit and run but initial inquiries suggest it was driving towards Cork city.

It is hoped that a postmortem due to be carried out on the deceased at Cork University Hospital later will provide information on what happened.

Supt Adrian Gamble appealed to anyone with information, particularly any road users who were in the area between 1.30am and 2.30am, to contact Midleton Garda station on (021) 462 1550.

Clare crash

Meanwhile, gardaí in Co Clare are investigating a fatal single vehicle crash that happened in the Cratloekeel area in Cratloe at around 2.55am.

The crash happened at a point where vehicles have to slow down to cross a rail line at a sharp angle. The car is understood to have collided with an upright steel girder at the level-crossing before going on fire.

The 18-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene, which is being preserved so it can undergo a technical examination.

Irish Rail confirmed that significant damage had been caused to the level crossing on the Limerick to Galway line, but services are not affected as the line is currently closed due to flooding at Ballycar.

Anyone with information, particularly road users who may have dash cam footage, is asked to contact Henry Street Garda station on (061) 212 400 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.