Five teenagers have died and four other people were seriously hurt in a crash on a motorway in the Republic of Ireland. Police said a car was driving the wrong way when the collision happened.
Gardaí confirmed that the bodies of the teenagers, all male, had been removed from the scene of the two-vehicle crash. It happened at around 3am on Sunday on the M9 in County Kildare.
The force said the people in the second car—three women, two in their 30s and one in her 20s, along with a boy—were all still in hospital with serious injuries.
The Garda commissioner, Justin Kelly, called the head-on crash “horrific” and said that, in some cases, people were driving on the wrong side of motorways to get likes on social media.
Last weekend, nine people were injured in a head-on crash on the M50 in Dublin involving a car going the wrong way.
Speaking about Sunday’s crash, Kelly said: “These family members were travelling innocently when they were hit by a vehicle being driven the wrong way down the motorway.
“This horrific incident, after the recent crash on the M50, shows how reckless and dangerous it is to drive on the wrong side of the motorway.
“That should be obvious, but what makes this behaviour even worse is that, in some cases, it’s done for social media likes, without thinking about the potentially devastating impact it could have on innocent people and themselves.”
He added: “Because this incident has been referred to Fiosrú, the police ombudsman, I can’t go into detail about it, but I know gardaí do what they can to stop such vehicles while also keeping other road users in mind.
“Gardaí are put in a very difficult position dealing with these situations.”
Officers are looking into what caused the crash, which happened at junction 3 of the motorway, near Athy, at around 3am on Sunday.
Emergency services were called after reports of a vehicle driving southbound on the M9’s northbound carriageway.
Earlier, a Garda Síochána spokesperson said the female driver and front-seat passenger of the second car had been taken to Tallaght University Hospital and were in a critical condition.
A female rear-seat passenger, in her 20s, was taken to St Luke’s General Hospital in a serious condition.
The third passenger, a child, was taken to Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin in Dublin, also in a serious condition.
The bodies of the teenagers who died were taken to Naas General Hospital, where post-mortem examinations were due to take place.
Gardaí have asked anyone who saw the crash or has dashcam footage to come forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs regarding the tragic incident of five teenagers dying in a wrongway motorway crash in Ireland
General Incident Details
1 What exactly happened
A car was driven the wrong way down a motorway in Ireland and collided headon with another vehicle Five teenagers who were passengers in the car were pronounced dead at the scene The driver of the other vehicle was taken to the hospital with serious injuries
2 Where and when did this happen
The crash occurred on the M8 motorway in County Cork Ireland in the early hours of a Saturday morning The exact location was between Cahir and Cashel
3 Who were the victims
The five teenagers were all women ranging in age from 18 to 24 They were from the Clonmel area in County Tipperary Their names were released by authorities with the consent of their families
4 Who was driving the car
The driver of the car was a man in his 20s He survived the crash and was arrested at the scene on suspicion of dangerous driving causing death He was later released without charge while the investigation continues
5 Was alcohol or drugs involved
The Gardaí confirmed that a toxicology report would be part of the investigation but they did not confirm any specific findings at the time of the initial reports It remains a key line of inquiry
Investigation Aftermath
6 Why was the car driving the wrong way
The investigation is ongoing Gardaí are looking into several possibilities including driver error disorientation or impairment They have appealed for dashcam footage from other drivers on the M8 that morning
7 What is a dashcam and why is it important here
A dashcam is a small video camera mounted on a cars dashboard Gardaí asked for footage because it could show the exact path the car took before entering the motorway which might help explain how the driver ended up going the wrong way
8 Has anyone been charged with a crime
As of the latest updates no charges have been filed The driver was released pending the completion of the Garda investigation which will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide if charges should be brought
