This morning at around 8.30am, a father and his three-year-old son were killed in a collision involving their black Audi car and a truck.
Now, a serious assault on a woman - reported to be the mother of the dead pre-schooler - is also being investigated.
It is believed that she sustained a stab wound shortly before the tragedy took place, and is currently being treated at University Hospital Limerick.
The collision took place on the N24 between Pallasgreen and Oola in Co Limerick.
The dead father is thought to be in his late 20s and originally from Italy, reports irishtimes.com, or 'Eastern Europe,' reports RTE.
The truck driver was not injured but remains severely shocked; irishtimes.com furthermore reports that he was driving in the direction of Tipperary and that the black Audi carrying the father and son was travelling in the opposite direction towards Limerick when the head-on collision occurred.
Gardaí at Bruff are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash and the earlier stabbing incident at the house in Oola.
The remains of the dead father and son have been removed to University Hospital Limerick for a postmortem examination.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or travelled the road between 8am and 8.30am is asked to contact gardaí at Bruff on 061-382940, the Garda Confidential Telephone Line on 1800-666-111 or any garda station.
