A woman in her 20s has died in the aftermath of a three-vehicle collision in Co. Wexford this morning.
The collision involved a car, a truck and a car, and occurred on the N25 at Barntown at around 6.30 am.
The woman was driving the car, and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
Her body was then taken to University Hospital Waterford, where a post-mortem examination is set to be carried out.
Meanwhile, the driver of the van was a man in his 40s, who was taken to Wexford General Hospital with additional injuries. However, these are not believed to be life-threatening.
The road is currently closed for further examination, with diversions in place.
Gardaí are also appealing for witnesses, particularly any road users who were travelling in the area this morning and who may have camera footage (including dash cam), to contact Wexford Garda Station on 053 916 5200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any other garda station.
The development comes just days after one woman was killed and six more people were injured in a two-vehicle collision in Co. Mayo last Friday.
One woman has been killed and six more people have been injured in a two-vehicle collision in Co. Mayo.https://t.co/oRgg7B6C51
— gript (@griptmedia) August 9, 2024
Road deaths appear to be on the increase in Ireland in recent years, and significantly, 2023 saw the highest number of road fatalities in nearly a decade, with 188 lives lost.
Upon assuming the role of Taoiseach in April, Simon Harris declared that road safety would be “a priority issue” for him and his government during his tenure.
In early March, the European Commission released a comprehensive analysis that compared road fatalities per million inhabitants in 2023 with the average from the three years preceding the Covid-19 restrictions, on a country-by-country basis.
Although Ireland’s road fatalities per million inhabitants were below the EU average, the country experienced the largest percentage increase, rising by 29%. Ireland and Norway, which saw a 14% increase, were the only countries with double-digit percentage growth.
Overall, most member states experienced a 12% decrease in road fatalities rather than an increase.