Three people remained in a very critical condition yesterday after an accident near Portlaoise which claimed three lives early on Saturday. The accident happened at Clonboyne, Co Laois, at 1 a.m. on the Portlaoise-Mountrath road.
The three people who were killed in the crash were Mr Raymond Cuddy (21), Kilbricken, Mountrath, Co Laois, Mr Matthew Peters (20), also of Kilbricken, Mountrath, who was the driver, and Ms Aoife Carroll (17), Camross, Co Laois.
Ms Jackie Cuddy, Raymond Cuddy's sister; Ms Lorraine Bowe, their first cousin, and Mr Fergal Hanlon (20), Mountrath, another cousin, were seriously injured and were transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin after the accident. Last night, a spokeswoman at the hospital said their condition was unchanged. "They are still very critically ill and are in intensive care," she said.
Three vehicles, a tractor-trailer and two cars, were involved. All were travelling in the same direction towards Portlaoise when the accident happened about a mile outside the town.
A grey Nissan Sentra collided with the back of the trailer. Nine people were travelling in the car at the time and three died instantly. The tractor driver was unhurt.
Four people who were in a second car which then crashed into the back of the first vehicle were uninjured but three were treated for shock.
Two units of the fire brigade went to the scene. The dead and injured were taken to Portlaoise Hospital but the three critically injured were later transferred to Beaumont. A Garda spokesman said the cause of the accident was not known.
Gardai are appealing for witnesses to a fatal road traffic accident at North Circular Road, Dublin, shortly after 10.30 p.m. on Saturday. The accident involved a white Citroen CX car which collided with a tree outside Ashley Motors. The car was believed to be heading in the direction of St Peter's Church, Phibsboro.
The man who died was named by gardai yesterday as Mr Glen Johnston (26), Cromcastle Green, Coolock, Dublin. He was taken to the Mater Hospital by ambulance but was pronounced dead on arrival. Anyone who witnessed the accident or saw the car before the accident is asked to contact the gardai at Mountjoy Garda station at 01-830 1720 or any Garda station.