An 81-year-old man has been killed in Co Cork while he was driving with his wife on Wednesday afternoon.
The man, who was from the Ballincollig area, was driving on the main Cork-Dublin M8 at Sallybrook in Glanmire when his car went out of control and crashed at around 2.50pm.
The man was driving northwards in his car when it crashed through the central median and went over on to its incorrect side of the road and into the embankment on the southbound carriage.
The emergency services were alerted and paramedics attended but the man was pronounced dead at the scene and his body removed to Cork University Hospital for a post-mortem on Thursday.
A woman, who is also aged 81 and was a front seat passenger, was injured in the collision and was removed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital where she was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Gardaí closed the southbound carriage from Junction 18 to the Jack Lynch Tunnel for several hours to facilitate an examination by a forensic crash investigator but the road was re-opened yesterday evening.
Gardaí are investigating the crash and have appealed for any witnesses to contact them Mayfield Garda station on 021 4558510, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
The death of the pensioner at Glanmire brings the number of people to lose their lives on roads to 13 in Cork city and county in traffic collisions so far this year.
