The Garda Ombudsman has initiated its second road death investigation within 24 hours in Co Galway.
The second inquiry relates to the death of a 36-year-old male motorcyclist in Ballinasloe, east Galway. The man was fatally injured when his vehicle lost control and crashed at Sralea around 11.45pm on Sunday night.
He was taken to Portiuncula Hospital in the town where he was pronounced dead.
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) said that the driver of the motorbike crashed "in an apparent attempt to evade the gardaí", and later died in hospital.
It said that the incident had been referred to it by Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy under Section 102 of the Garda Síochána Act, 2005. GSOC investigators had been sent to the scene yesterday, the commission said.
On Sunday, the GSOC said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a pedestrian who was fatally injured after he was struck by a car at about 1.50am that day at Glebe, Oughterard.
The GSOC said the driver of the car involved was an off-duty garda who was travelling in his own vehicle. No arrests were made. This case was also referred to the GSOC by Commissioner Conroy. The Ballinasloe death brought to four the number of casualties on the roads in Co Galway over a 24-hour period.
