Five male teenagers have been killed in a motorway crash that also left three women and a boy (7) travelling in another vehicle seriously injured in Co Kildare.
One of the two vehicles involved was driven the wrong way down the M9 and collided with another car carrying four people.
Two sisters, in their 30s, were left in a critical condition, while their other sister (in her 20s) and her child aged seven are also in hospital in a serious condition.
The car they were travelling in, a Hyundai, was driving in the correct direction on the motorway. They were making their way to Dublin Airport, to travel to Britain for a family wedding.
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The car carrying the teenagers who were killed was a BMW. Their bodies were removed from the scene on Sunday evening and were taken to Naas General Hospital, where postmortems will take place.
Forensic collision investigators have completed their examination of the scene and the road is expected to reopen shortly.
Family liaison officers have been appointed to assist relatives of the occupants of both vehicles.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said in a statement that the incident “shows how irresponsible and dangerous driving on the wrong side of the motorway is”, adding that in some cases it is being done for social media likes.
The remains of the dead, who were all in the BMW, were still in the car early on Sunday at the scene. Gardaí did not confirm how many people had died until later on Sunday afternoon.
Because a Garda operation had been under way early on Sunday to track the vehicle travelling the wrong way down the motorway, the police watchdog agency Fiosrú was informed and has launched an investigation.
The crash occurred on the M9 at junction 3 northbound, near Moone, at about 3am.
“Gardaí and emergency services were alerted to a vehicle travelling southbound on the northbound carriageway of the M9,” Garda headquarters confirmed.
“The vehicle was driving on the M9 between junction 3 and 4 when a head-on collision occurred with a second car. A number of fatalities have occurred and no further details are available at this time.”
Gardaí added the driver and front-seat passenger in the Hyundai, both women in their 30s, were taken from the scene by ambulance. They were being treated at Tallaght University Hospital and both were described as being in critical condition.
“A female rear-seat passenger, aged in her 20s, was taken to St Luke’s General Hospital and is in a serious condition,” gardaí added. “A young child was also in the back seat at the time of the crash and has been taken to Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin, where their condition was described as serious.”
Gardaí have appealed for any road-users travelling on the M9, in either direction, between 2am and 3am, to contact the investigating team in Athy Garda station. They are especially keen to hear from motorists who were recording dashcam footage at the time.
The Garda Commissioner said in his statement that his thoughts were with those injured in the collision.
“These family members were travelling innocently when they were struck by a vehicle being driven the wrong way down the motorway,” he said.
“This horrific incident, following the recent collision on the M50, shows how irresponsible and dangerous driving on the wrong side of the motorway is.
“That, of course, should be self-evident, but 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.”
He said he was constrained in his comments due to the incident’s referral to Fiosrú, but added that gardaí “do what they can to stop such vehicles while also taking into consideration all other road-users”.
Fiosrú became involved in the case following a referral by gardaí. The Garda must alert the agency to any incident involving the serious injury or death of any person at or around the time they died or were injured.
However, although gardaí were aware of the vehicle driving down the motorway, it was unclear whether a pursuit of that vehicle had taken place at any time early on Sunday morning. It appears the vehicle was not being pursued on the M9 at the time of the crash.
“One of Fiosrú’s on-call team of investigators attended the scene and its independent investigation is ongoing,” said the agency.
“In line with its statutory remit, Fiosrú’s investigation relates to incidents involving contact with gardaí where a member of the public has died or been seriously injured. A referral does not necessarily mean a garda or gardaí have been accused of wrongdoing.
“Instead, it means that Fiosrú should independently investigate the incident to ascertain whether or not the act or omission of a garda or gardaí may have resulted in the death of, or serious harm to, a person.”
Sunday morning’s crash was the second time in eight days a serious crash occurred when a car was driven on to a motorway against traffic.
Last Sunday, nine people were injured when a stolen car crashed into an oncoming vehicle on the M50 at junction 12 near Firhouse, south Dublin. The vehicle, designed to seat five, was carrying nine teenagers and one of them, aged 13 years, was seriously injured.
That car, a Toyota Yaris, had been stolen earlier in Rathmines, south Dublin.
Gardaí were aware of it, and had been tracking its movements, in the period before it crashed into the other car, driven by a man in his 20s, on the M50. Because of the Garda involvement in the period before that crash at 5.30am, Fiosrú is also investigating that incident.
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