A five-year-old boy has died after a road accident in Co Laois.
The child who has been described as a “pedestrian” by gardaí was struck by a car in Portlaoise around 4.20pm on Saturday afternoon.
The driver of the car, a woman in her 40s, was not injured.
It was the second road tragedy in the Midlands today.
A young man died earlier in Westmeath and two others were injured when a quad bike and motorcycle collided.
The Portlaoise accident involving the child occurred in a residential area called Kilminchy which is on the edge of the town.
The boy was taken from the scene to the Midlands Regional Hospital in Portlaoise but pronounced dead a short time later. A post mortem examination will take place in due course.
In a statement, Gardaí said the road would remain closed overnight. A technical examination is to be carried out by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators on Sunday.
Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) who were travelling in Kilminchy between 4-5pm on Saturday are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Portlaoise Garda Station on 057 867 4100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
Earlier a quad bike rider in his 20s died in Westmeath. He was fatally injured and pronounced dead at the scene of an accident which also involved in a motorbike.
His body has since been removed to the mortuary in Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar where a post mortem examination “will take place in due course”, according to gardai.
The male passenger of the quad bike, also aged in his 20s, was rushed from the scene to Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore with non-life threatening injuries.
The male rider of the motorcycle, aged in his 20s is in a critical condition in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital.
Gardaí say the incident occurred at approximately 3.30pm at Ballynascarry, Finea.
“Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene of a fatal road traffic collision that occurred at Ballynascarry, Finea, Co Westmeath this afternoon,” a Garda spokesman said.