Six Die On Irish Roads

The death of a Co Tyrone man overnight has brought the total number of road deaths across Ireland in the past 48 hours to six.

Christopher McNeill, 26, from the Dungannon area, is also the 13th person to die on NI's roads so far this year.

He was killed in a crash involving a car and a lorry outside Coalisland.

It happened on the Annagher Road at its junction with the Dernagh Road at about 5.40pm on Monday.

The deceased was travelling alone in a white Toyota estate car which was in collision with a Volvo lorry.

The fatality was just the latest of a series of NI road accidents during the last few days.

A teenage woman remains in a serious condition in hospital after being knocked down in north Belfast in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The 18-year-old was hit by a car in North Queen Street at its junction with Henry Street at around 2am.

The woman had just got out of a taxi when she was hit by the car. The PSNI said they are keen to speak to the driver of the red-coloured taxi, which is believed to have dropped the teenager off shortly before the collision.

Also, four men were injured when the car they were travelling in hit a parked van in Co Antrim.

One of the men - who are all believed to be in their twenties - was still in a serious but stable condition in hospital on Monday, another was being treated for broken ribs while the others escaped with minor injuries.

Police said they were in a red Honda Civic which collided with the unoccupied Transit van at Princess Gardens in Cloughmills shortly before midnight on Saturday.

Tragically, the past weekend also saw five road deaths across the Irish border.

There were two fatalities early yesterday morning alone, with the latest crash now being probed by Gardaí in Co Kilkenny.

A 30-year-old female was pronounced dead at the scene when the car in which she was travelling was involved in a collision with a lorry.

She was identifed earlier today as 30-year-old Nora Essan of Ardkeen Village.

In the early hours of Sunday night/Monday morning, a 16-year-old teenager was also tragically pronounced dead at the scene when the car in which he was a rear seat passenger collided with a tree.

Gardaí in Naas were already investigating an earlier road traffic collision, which happened shortly before 8.20pm on Sunday - 1st March - at Cromwellstown, Kilteel, Naas, Co. Kildare.

A 33-year-old male was taken to Tallaght Hospital after the car in which he was a passenger collided with a fence. Tragically, he was pronounced dead some time later.

Meanwhile, a similar investigation is underway after another fatal road traffic, this time in Tipperary.

The collision also occurred on Sunday evening, but this time at Newcastle, Ardfinnan Co Tipperary.

A man in his early 20s was pronounced dead at the scene after the motorcycle on which he was travelling was involved in a collision with a car at about 5.50pm.

An earlier motorcycle accident also proved fatal.

Gardai at Ennis are investigating after the crash shortly before 1pm on Saturday at Ballaghafadda West, Clarecastle, Co Clare.

A 35-year-old male motorcyclist was killed when his motorbike hit a ditch.

See: Road Toll Tops Five

(BMcC/JM)