Two young men injured in a car crash in Youghal, Co Cork, on Thursday were returning from the removal service of a friend killed in a crash in Ballincollig on Sunday, gardaí in Cork said.
The incident comes at the end of a seven-day period in which 11 people died on Irish roads.
Gardaí received a report that two cars were being driven dangerously on the Killeagh-Youghal road at 6am on Thursday, Insp Martin Dorney told RTÉ's News at One yesterday.
A short time later gardaí were informed that the same cars had crashed at Youghal Bridge. Gardaí arrived at the scene to find only one of the cars, which was blocking the road.
Gardaí in Dungarvan stopped the second car minutes later. Both men had sustained minor injuries, Insp Dorney said.
It is understood that the men, both in their 20s, had the previous night attended the removal of a friend killed in a car crash in Ballincollig.
In a separate incident two young men are in a stable condition in hospital in Galway, while a third has been transferred to hospital in Co Offaly, after they were struck by a car in Athlone, Co Westmeath, early yesterday.
The men, students from Athlone Institute of Technology, had been standing on a footpath when a car went out of control and struck them.
The incident happened at around 2am. The driver was arrested and charged with road traffic offences.
Meanwhile gardaí at Dunboyne have named a 73-year-old woman who died following a crash on the Dublin-Trim road yesterday as Margaret Kelly, Draiocht, Athboy, Co Meath.
Gardaí have revised the number of road deaths for last year from 399 to 400. It is believed that a crash victim has subsequently died, but the identity has not been released.
