Two men were killed and two women seriously injured when their car left the South Link Road in Cork in the early hours of yesterday morning. It was the second double fatality on the county's roads within 48 hours.
A father of three, Mr James Lyons (32) from Carrigmahon, Monkstown and his friend, Mr Paul O'Connell (32), from Victoria Place, Passage West died. The two women passengers - both in their 20s and from the Passage area - were seriously injured.
The silver Toyota Corolla travelled over 40 yards before crashing into the ramparts of packed rock at a fly-over being built as a link to the Lee Tunnel.
Two units of Cork City Fire Brigade had to use cutting equipment to remove the four people from the crumpled wreckage.
Both Mr Lyons, who was driving, and Mr O'Connell were removed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital but were pronounced dead on arrival. A hospital representative described the condition of one of the women last night as very critical and the other as serious.
Mr Lyons is survived by his wife Angela, three young children, Stephanie, Robert and Lydia, parents James and Miranda, brother Michael and sister Jacinta.
Mr O'Connell is survived by his mother Martha, and his sisters Geraldine and Denise. Both men will be buried following separate funeral masses at the Sacred Heart Church, Monkstown, tomorrow.
The accident follows a crash just 20 miles away in Midleton on Saturday morning when sisters Fiona (25) and Marie Higgins (23) from Upper Aghada lost their lives.
It brings to 18 the number of people who have died in traffic accidents in the greater Cork area since the start of the year.