Road reopens following fatal Limerick collision

THE N69, which was partially closed overnight following a horror road crash has reopened, gardai have confirmed.

Three elderly woman were killed in the head-in collision which happened on the Coast Road on the Listowel side of the village of Loughill at around 6.30pm on Thursday.

“The driver and sole occupant of one of the cars, a woman in her 70s, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and passenger of the second car, both woman in their 70s, were also pronounced dead at the scene,” confirmed a garda spokesman.

A fourth woman – again aged in her 70s –  was airlifted from the scene and taken to University Hospital Limerick. Her injuries are said to be serious but non-life threatening.

#LIMERICK N69 reopened overnight. More here: https://t.co/PSzIBsvOzE

— AA Roadwatch (@aaroadwatch) May 31, 2019

A number of the women were from the immediate locality leaving the community in shock.

 "It's the most awful tragedy I've heard of in this parish, to say the least. What happened today is just dreadful for these poor women's families,” said local parish priest Fr Austin McNamara.

In addition to local gardai, paramedics from the National Ambulance Service and crews from Foynes and Newcastle West fire stations attended the scene for several hours.

A technical and forensic collision took place overnight and gardai at Newcastle West are appealing to any motorists who were travelling on the N69 and who have dash cam footage to contact them at on 069-20650.