'Number of fatalities' and four injured after car drives on wrong side of motorway

On Sunday morning, a tragic accident occurred on the M9 motorway in County Kildare, resulting in the deaths of five teenagers and injuring four others. The collision took place at Junction 3, with the vehicle driven by teenagers traveling on the wrong side of the carriageway, leading to a head-on collision with another car. The five deceased were occupants of the first car, while the driver and front passenger, both in their 30s, of the second car sustained serious injuries and were taken to Tallaght University Hospital.

A female rear seat passenger aged in her 20s and a child passenger were also injured and transported to St. Luke's General and Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin, respectively. The affected section of the M9 remains closed, with local diversions in place. Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly described the incident as a horrific and irresponsible act, emphasizing the dangerous consequences of such reckless driving, particularly when it is motivated by social media attention. The incident is under an independent investigation by Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman.