A woman in her 70s has died after being hit by a car on the N18 motorway in County Galway last night.

Gardaí said she was hit by a 4 x 4 vehicle travelling southbound near Cloughboley, Ardrahan shortly after 9pm.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver of the car was uninjured.

The woman’s body has been removed to University Hospital Galway where a post-mortem will be carried out.

The road was closed while gardaí carried out a forensic investigation of the crash site, but it has since reopened.

Gardaí are calling for witnesses to come forward.