Two drivers died in a head-on collision yesterday, two miles from Portlaoise on the road to Mountmellick. In Co Sligo a male pedestrian was killed when he was hit by a car at Lackagh, yesterday evening. This brings the number of deaths on the roads this year to 411.
Mr Rico Tathraoui (34), a father of three from Tullamore, who owns an Italian restaurant in the town, was one of the drivers. His passenger, Mr Frederick Dino, was injured in the accident and was taken to Portlaoise hospital. The other driver killed was named by the Garda last night as Mr Meryl McNab (24), a single man from Mountmellick.