A three-year-old Co Dublin boy who was critically injured in a weekend road accident died in Beaumont Hospital yesterday.
Connell Clarges, from Loughlinstown, had been in a critical condition since his transfer to the hospital from Co Wexford on Saturday, when his parents' car was involved in a collision with a lorry.
His nine-month old sister, Katie, died instantly in the crash, while their parents Paul and Gráinne Clarges suffered serious injuries, and are still being treated at Beaumont.
The accident brought to five the number of people killed on the roads during the bank holiday weekend.
Under a Garda operation, which began at midnight last Thursday and ended at midnight last night, hundreds of checkpoints and mobile traffic patrols were set up in each Garda division.
It was aimed at limiting the number of road fatalities and injuries during the bank holiday period. Last year nine people died and more than 140 people were injured over the same period.
The double-fatality in Co Wexford took place at Ashfield Cross, a well-known accident black-spot on the main Wexford to Rosslare road.
The family had been returning from a shopping expedition from Rosslare.
The father and mother and their son were cut from the car by the emergency services and removed to Wexford General Hospital from where they were later transferred to Beaumont.
Meanwhile, gardaí yesterday named the victim of another road traffic incident that took place on Saturday. Mr Anthony McNamara (31) of Graigue, Adare, Co Limerick was killed when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a car at Cumeen, Adare at 5.50 p.m.
On Friday, an 80-year-old man was killed when the car he was driving struck a lorry at Rathcormack on the N8 between Cork and Fermoy.
Earlier the same day, Mr Daniel Carrie (18), Hillview, Drogheda, Co Louth died when the motorcycle he was riding hit a ditch at Proudstown, Co Meath.
The weekend road deaths bring to 213 the number of people killed on the Irish roads this year, a decrease of about 20 on the same period last year.
The penalty points system is being extended later this month to cover seat-belt offences. From August 25th drivers will incur up to four penalty points and fines of up to €800 if convicted of failing to honour their legal responsibilities.
Regulations require drivers to ensure that passengers aged under 17 years are using a seat-belt and that children younger than four years use an appropriate child restraint.
Only 20 per cent of rear seat passengers are restrained, according to the National Safety Council.
