09/12/2010

Two Die After Crash Fleeing Gardaí

Two men have died while attempting to flee from Gardaí along icy roads in Limerick last night.

The pair were among three men who were speeding along Limerick roads in a high-performance BMW car, which crashed off an icy road into a tree at around 9.30pm on Tuesday night.

The third man is reportedly a Limerick city man and known to Gardaí. He was in a stable condition last night in hospital.

Gardaí recovered an imitation firearm, balaclavas and house-breaking implements from the crashed blue car at the scene of the single-vehicle accident in west Limerick.

Eric Fitzgerald (23) and Cornelius Fitzharris (28) were pronounced dead at the scene, while Nolan was rushed to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick.

Nolan (30) underwent surgery yesterday for head injuries suffered and was in a stable condition last night. He is expected to survive.

The car had been stolen in the Granville Park area of Limerick city last month. Thieves stole the vehicle after they located the keys during the course of a house burglary.

The news comes as motorists and pedestrians are being urged to exercise caution on the roads and footpaths as temperatures dropped to -9C in some places overnight.

Most of the main roads are passable but Gardaí have urged people to avoid any unnecessary journeys.

AA Roadwatch said this morning that road temperatures remained subzero in some areas. A spokesman said there had been a very slight improvement in western areas, but that care was essential on all routes, especially on secondary roads.

(DW/KMcA)

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