A young man has died following a single-vehicle collision on the M7 motorway in Kildare this morning.

The incident occurred when a van collided with a bridge on the M7 Eastbound at Junction 12 (Ballymany) near Newbridge around 6:20am.

The driver, aged in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was removed to the mortuary at Naas General Hospital.

The motorway was closed at Junction 12 for a time following the collision to facilitate a forensic examination of the scene by gardaí. The road has since reopened.

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Gardaí are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the crash or who may have camera footage of the M7 from around the time of the accident to contact them.

“Gardaí attended the scene of a fatal road traffic collision that occurred on the M7 near Newbridge, County Kildare this morning, Wednesday 22nd November 2023,” said a spokesperson.

“A van collided with a bridge on the M7 Eastbound at Junction 12 (Ballymany) at approximately 6.20am.

‌“The driver of the van, a male aged in his 20s, was fatally injured as a result of the collision. He was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was removed to the mortuary at Naas General Hospital.

“The M7 Eastbound was closed at Junction 12 earlier today to facilitate a technical examination of the scene by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators. The road has now reopened,” they added.

“Gardaí in Newbridge are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact them.

“Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and who were travelling on the M7 near Junction 12 at the time of the collision are asked to make this footage available to gardaí.

“Anyone with any information is asked to contact Newbridge Garda Station on 045 431 212, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.”

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