AN ELDERLY MAN has died following a road traffic collision in Co Clare yesterday afternoon.

The driver and passenger of the same car were also hospitalised while two people travelling in a second vehicle escaped injury.

The crash occurred at around 2.30pm on the N68 Ennis to Kilrush Road at Cahercallamore, close to Edenvale Cross, and involved a car and a 4×4 vehicle that had been towing a livestock box.

Following the almost head-on impact, the car came to a stop in the middle of the road while the 4×4 mounted a ditch and the animal trailer rolled over into a field. There was no animal in the trailer at the time.

A number of National Ambulance Service resources and three units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Ennis station responded to the incident along with gardaí.

A man in his early 80s, who was the back seat passenger in the car, sustained serious injuries and was rushed by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick, where he was later pronounced dead.

The female driver and passenger of the same vehicle were also transported UHL for treatment, however their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. A man and woman travelling in the SUV were uninjured.

The N68 was quickly closed and traffic diverted away from area. The road remained closed while garda forensic collision investigators examined the scene.

The fire service was requested to provide lighting so gardaí could illuminate the crash site as they continued their investigation as darkness fell. The road reopened later yesterday evening.

In a statement, a garda spokesman said: “Gardaí at Ennis are appealing for any witnesses to this road traffic collision to come forward, particularly any motorists who were travelling in the area at the time and may have dash cam footage.”