Motorists were urged to drive carefully today as the death toll on the State's roads over the bank holiday weekend reached eight.
The latest collision claimed the life of a 47-year-old man when the van he was driving crashed into a tree on Spout Road, Clonroche, Co Wexford at 12.40am.
Last night, shortly after 8pm, 79-year-old Arthur McCabe of Dairybrae, Cootehill, Co Cavan was seriously injured after he was hit by a car at Munnilly, Cootehill. He was taken to Cavan Hospital where he later died.
Gardaí also named an elderly woman who died in Offaly. Edith Gilbert (81), from Bunclody Co Wexford was struck by a car at Ballycumber, Clara at 12.20pm yesterday. Another female pedestrian was seriously injured. She is being treated in Tullamore Hospital. Gardaí at Clara are investigating the incident.
A total of five people died on Donegal roads within 24 hours at the weekend.
The first fatality happened at midday on Saturday at Derryart, between Creeslough and Dunfanaghy. Martin McMullen (20) from Dunfanaghy died when the car in which he was a front-seat passenger hit a wall. The 19-year-old male driver was seriously injured and was taken to Letterkenny General Hospital.
At 2am yesterday, Thomas Conaghan (59) from Dromore, Mountcharles died after the tractor he was driving left the road and went into a field at Mountcharles.
Less than an hour later, Anthony Doherty (20) died when the car he was driving left the road and hit a tree at Craig, Muff. His 19-year-old passenger Róisín Doherty later died in Altnagelvin Hospital from injuries sustained in the collision. Both were from Derry.
Just before 4am yesterday, pedestrian Laura Hegarty (18) was the victim of a hit-and-run incident on the New Line Road in Letterkenny, close to the Garda station.
The five deaths came just after the Donegal road safety working group launched a special awareness campaign. The theme of the Letterkenny St Patrick's Day parade was road safety.
Motorists were today warned to exercise extra caution as a cold snap continues to affect many areas of the country. AA Roadwatch said many roads were icy and wintry showers were continuing this morning. Some of the worst effected areas Counties Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Louth, Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal.
In Co Kildare gardai are asking motorists to exercise extreme care all back roads but also on the M4, M7 and M9 as they say the roads appear to be refreezing despite being gritted by the council. There were several incidents this morning.
In Co Louth the N1 Dundalk to Newry road was reported to be very slippery, in Co Kilkenny, there was a single vehicle crash on the Castlecomer road due to black ice while in Co Tipperary a horse box overturned on the N8 between Turnpike and Thurles Shooting Range.
Figures released by gardaí yesterday revealed that 207 motorists have been arrested in suspected incidents of drink driving in the 24 hour period between 10.30am on Saturday to 10.30am yesterday.
"Gardaí are again renewing their appeal to motorists to exercise care on the road and not to break the drink driving legislation," a Garda statement said.
