Irish couple die in Spanish collision

An Irish couple have been killed in a road collision in Spain.

The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it was aware of the deaths of the couple in Alicante yesterday evening. The department has not yet released the names of the couple who died. The man, aged 46 and the woman aged 45, are from Co Kerry.

It is understood they had just arrived on holiday and went for a walk when they were hit by a car.

A spokeswoman for the department said family members have been contacted and that assistance is being provided by both the honorary consulate in Alicante and the Irish embassy in Madrid.

The driver of a car, a 35-year-old Spanish man, was taken into custody by police and was due before a local judge today, the newspaper El Pais reported today.

The collision occurred just after midnight on the N332 road on the coast of Orihuela, Alicante.  No other vehicle was involved.

El Pais said the are is regarded as a traffic "black spot" because there are a lot of leisure facilities on both sides of the road which stay open until the early hours.

The establishments are frequented by residents of housing estates in the area, mostly foreigners. There is a large flow of pedestrian traffic but insufficient pedestrian crossings.

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