Five teenagers dead and four injured after car drives on wrong side of motorway
Five Teenagers Killed in Head-On Collision on M9 Motorway
Ninoda.com – A head-on crash between two vehicles on the M9 Northbound at Junction 3, County Kildare, claimed the lives of five teenage boys early Sunday morning. Four additional people were transported to hospital with injuries ranging from serious to critical.
The impact took place at approximately 03:00 local time. Gardaí confirmed that all five deceased occupants had been travelling in a single vehicle which was driving on the wrong side of the carriageway when it met the second car head-on. The bodies were subsequently removed from the scene and conveyed to Naas General Hospital, where post-mortem examinations are scheduled.
Injuries to Second-Vehicle Occupants
The other car carried four people. Its driver and front-seat passenger — both women in their 30s — were airlifted to Tallaght University Hospital and remain in critical condition. A female rear-seat occupant, in her 20s, was taken to St. Luke's General Hospital with serious injuries. A child passenger was transported to Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin and is likewise listed as seriously injured.
Road Closure and Police Response
The stretch of the M9 between Junction 3 and Junction 4, in both the northbound and southbound directions, remains shut with local diversions operating. Gardaí have issued an appeal for any witnesses to come forward, and they are specifically asking road users who were travelling on that section of motorway between 02:00 and 03:00 on Sunday to release any dashcam footage covering the incident or its immediate surroundings.
Garda Commissioner's Statement
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly characterised the crash as a "horrific incident" caused by "irresponsible and dangerous driving." He noted that those struck were "family members" who were "travelling innocently" when hit by the vehicle on the wrong side of the carriageway.
"What makes this reckless behaviour even more appalling is that in some cases it is being done for social media likes regardless of the potentially devastating impact it might have on innocent people and themselves."
Kelly went on to explain that officers "do what they can to stop such vehicles while also taking into consideration all other road users," adding:
"Gardaí are put in a really challenging situation dealing with such incidents."
No Pursuit Underway, Independent Inquiry Launched
Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that gardaí stated no pursuit was taking place at the time of the collision. Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman, has been notified and its on-call investigative team attended the scene. An independent investigation is now under way.
The watchdog clarified that a referral does not imply any garda or group of gardaí have been accused of wrongdoing. Rather, it means Fiosrú must independently examine whether any act or omission by a garda or gardaí may have contributed to the death or serious harm of a person.
Political Reaction
Sinn Féin TD for Kildare South Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh called the scenes "absolutely catastrophic." She offered her "deepest sympathies" to families who lost loved ones and to those still fighting for their lives in hospital.
"My heart also goes out to the first responders and all of those working in our emergency services who were met with the most horrific of scenes this morning."
"This loss of life is colossal and the effect those losses will have on their friends and families is incalculable."
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