The victim has been named locally as Joseph McFadden (20) of Abbey Villas, Manorcunningham. It is believed that Mr. McFadden, a son of Joe and Gloria McFadden, worked as a DJ. It is thought that he was driving home from a DJ-ing job in Malin Head when the collision occurred.

Speaking yesterday County Councillor Francis Conaghan of Newtowncunningham offered his condolences to the family at "this very tragic time.”

"There are no answers to these situations," he said. "Unfortunately, when the blow is dealt the family has to pick up the pieces and carry the burden."

Clr. Conaghan said the family is well known in the locality and also has connections in Newtowncunningham. He added: “The community's heart goes out to them."

Yesterday afternoon gardai were still investigating the fatal, two-car collision that occurred at 3:40 a.m. at Magherabeg, Manorcunningham. The stretch of the N13 where the collision took place was reopened around 2 pm after Gardaí crash scene investigators carried out their forensic examination of the site.

A Garda spokesman said the 20-year-old man, the driver of one of the cars, was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision. The driver of the other car, a man in his 20's from Derry, was taken to Letterkenny General Hospital, where a spokesperson for the Health Service Executive said he was in stable condition. There were no other passengers in either car, the Garda spokesperson said.

This most recent collision brings to nine the number of people who have been killed on Donegal roads so far this year. During the same period last year, 13 people had lost their lives on the county’s roads. Nationally, 176 people have been killed on Irish roads in 2008, according to the Garda spokesperson.

Councillor Conaghan also expressed his hope that the other young man involved the collision will make a full recovery.