Multiple dead and several injured after car on wrong side of motorway causes head-on collision
A number of people have died and others have been seriously injured in a crash involving a car driving in the wrong direction on a motorway in Co Kildare, Ireland
A number of people have died and others have been seriously injured in a crash involving a car driving in the wrong direction on a motorway in Co Kildare, Irish police said.
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Two vehicles were involved in a head-on collision on the northbound M9, and with an investigation into the circumstances of the crash underway by Gardaí.
The accident took place around junction 3 at about 3am on Sunday, with a child among those seriously injured.
Emergency services were alerted to a vehicle travelling southbound on the M9 northbound carriageway between junctions 3 and 4 when it collided head-on with another car.
A gardaí spokesman said: “A number of fatalities have occurred and no further details are available at this time.”
The spokesman said the female driver and front-seat passenger, both aged in their 30s, of the second car have been taken to Tallaght University Hospital and both remain in critical condition.
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A female rear-seat passenger, aged in her 20s, was taken to St Luke’s General Hospital and is in a serious condition, and a third passenger, a child, has been taken to the Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin in a serious condition.
The M9 from junction 3 to junction 4 northbound and southbound remains closed with local diversions in place.
A garda forensic collision examination will take place.Gardaí are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the collision to come forward.
Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman, has been notified.
A statement from Fiosrú said: “The referral was made following a fatal road traffic incident on the M9.
“One of Fiosrú’s on-call team of investigators attended the scene and its independent investigation is ongoing.
"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.”
The statement clarified that referral does not necessarily mean a garda or gardaí have been accused of wrongdoing but instead "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".
It concluded by adding that as the matter is now under investigation, they are unable to make further comment.