Hi °C | Lo °C AN 80-year-old woman died after a collision on the M50 last night.
Six people have lost their lives on our roads since Thursday evening including the elderly woman and a 27-year-old in the past 24 hours.
Eighteen have been killed so far this month, compared to 10 for the whole of January last year.
The latest victim was a 27-year-old woman who died in a single vehicle collision early today. Gardai at Macroom are investigating the accident which happened in the village of Donoughmore, Co Cork, at 1am this morning.
That tragedy followed the death of a pensioner on the country's busiest motorway last night.
Gardai at Ronanstown are investigating the two-vehicle fatal road traffic collision that happened on the M50 northbound at Junction 7 (N4 exit) at 10.30pm last night.
Gardai appealed to witnesses to contact Ronanstown Garda Station on 01 666 7700, the Garda Confidential Line 1 800 666 111 or any garda station.
Meanwhile, the Garda Ombudsman is probing the death of a motorist who was being pursued by gardai after allegedly leaving a petrol station without paying for fuel.
Keith McMahon (27) from Crettyard, in Co Laois, died after his car struck a lamp post on a stretch of road between Naas and Newbridge in Co Kildare.
He died at around 3.20am yesterday.
Mother
Mr McMahon, who was known to gardai, was driving a 1999 Dublin registered Toyota Corolla and the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) appealed for witnesses.
"The Garda Ombudsman is asking any witnesses, or indeed anyone with information that may be of assistance to its investigation, to contact it on 1890 600 800," a spokesperson said.
Separately, gardai have appealed for witnesses after a 34-year-old mother-of-two died in a crash in Monaghan on Friday night.
Michelle McCabe, from Shantonagh, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, was travelling with her eight-year-old son, five-year-old daughter and 62-year-old mother when she was involved in a two-car crash on the N2 at Tullvaragh Lower in Carrickmacross at 5pm on Friday night.
A woman in her 20s also died in Co Mayo when the car she was driving was involved in a collision with a truck and a minibus on the N5 at the junction with the old Castlebar Road on Friday.
Also in Co Kildare, a man his 40s died after a two-car crash on the M4 eastbound near Broadford, Kinnegad at 9.50pm on Thursday.
mlavery@herald.ie
