LAST UPDATE | 1 Jun

A MAN HAS died after he was struck by a car on the N18 in Co Clare early this morning.

The incident occurred at around 4.15am in the northbound lanes of the dual-carriageway at junction 5 near Cratloe.

Gardaí and National Ambulance Service paramedics responded to the incident along with Clare County Fire and Rescue Service crews from Shannon and Ennis stations.

The man was struck close to the flyover near Portdrine while the car came to a stop about 100 metres away. It’s understood the driver of the car was not seriously hurt but was left shaken.

The man was treated at the scene before being rushed by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick, where he died this afternoon.

Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to the incident to come forward, particularly anyone who may have been travelling in the area at the time.

Those who may have video footage, including dashcam footage, are asked to make it available to gardaí.

The main Limerick to Shannon N18 route has been closed at junction 5 and traffic diverted via Portdrine and the Cratloe/Sixmilebridge road.

A technical examination of the scene is currently being carried out.

Anyone travelling to Shannon Airport this morning is advised to allow extra time for their journey.

The man is the 14th person to die on an Irish road during the June Bank Holiday since 2019. 

Earlier this week Sam Waide, the Chief Executive of the RSA, said: “June is a really dangerous period, as we enter summertime, the risk of someone losing their lives on the road increases.”

Gardaí, the RSA and road-safety minister Jack Chambers on Thursday urged motorists to be vigilant and practice safe driving on Irish roads this weekend. 

In November 2007, a man in his 60s died after he was struck by a car as he crossed the same section of dual-carriageway. That tragic incident occurred just a few hundred metres from the scene of this morning’s incident.

Additional reporting by Muiris O’Cearbhaill