A man has died following a hit-and-run incident in Cork city on Saturday morning.
He has been named locally as Martin Lawlor (49), a father of three originally from Tralee, Co Kerry. A forensic psychiatrist, he was working in Cork but had been living in Manchester, England.
Gardaí in Cork have appealed for witnesses following the fatal incident in which Mr Lawlor was killed while walking on the outskirts of the city at about 5.30am.
It is believed the man was returning from a night out in Cork and was walking on the N27 Airport Road to the Cork International Hotel when he was hit by a car.
The car left the scene and the man’s body was discovered by another passing motorist at 5.30am and he raised the alarm and contacted the emergency services who attended to the man but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Gardaí had mounted a protective cordon and put diversions in place when one of the gardaí noticed a vehicle with a damaged windscreen and spoke to the driver whom they then arrested in relation to the death.
The man, who is in his 60s and from Cork city, was taken to Togher Garda station for questioning about the hit-and-run. He was released without charge on Saturday evening.
Gardaí contacted the office of the State pathologist and the body of the deceased was removed to Cork University Hospital where deputy State pathologist Dr Michael Curtis will carry out a postmortem.
Gardaí closed off the road and put diversions in place to allow a Garda forensic crash investigator examine the scene and it is expected that the road will remain close for much of the day.
Meanwhile, gardaí in Togher appealed to anyone who may have travelled the Airport Road between 5am and 5.30am on Saturday morning, or witnessed the fatal collision, to contact them at Togher Garda station on 021-4947120.
The death of the Mr Lawlor, whom it is understood was due to return home to his family in the UK today, brings the number of people who have died in road traffic collisions in Cork so far this year to 14.
