A horrific head-on collision on the M9 motorway in Kildare in the early hours of Sunday morning has left a number of people dead and four others seriously injured, including a child.
Gardaí in Athy received urgent reports of a vehicle travelling the wrong way on the northbound carriageway of the M9 before the devastating crash occurred. Emergency services rushed to the scene but were unable to save a number of those involved.
Four people survived but are in a serious condition following the smash, with a child among those fighting for their lives. The injured have been taken to hospital where they are receiving treatment.
The M9 is a major motorway connecting Dublin to Waterford, passing through County Kildare, and would have had traffic on it even in the early morning hours when the crash took place.
Gardaí have launched a full investigation into the circumstances of the collision. The stretch of motorway where the crash happened was closed to allow for a technical examination of the scene, causing significant disruption to early morning traffic.
Anyone who was travelling on the northbound carriageway of the M9 in the Athy area in the early hours of Sunday morning and who may have witnessed anything or has dashcam footage is being asked to contact Athy Garda Station.
The crash is one of the most serious road incidents in the Kildare area in recent times and will raise fresh questions about motorway safety and the dangers posed by wrong-way drivers on Irish roads. Wrong-way driving incidents, while relatively rare, have been responsible for some of the deadliest crashes on the motorway network in Ireland in recent years.
Road Safety Authority figures have consistently highlighted the need for greater awareness and infrastructure improvements to prevent vehicles from entering motorways at exit points or travelling against the flow of traffic.
The families of those killed and injured are being supported by local family liaison officers as Gardaí continue their investigation. The full identities of the deceased have not yet been released pending formal identification and notification of next of kin.
This is a developing story.
Absolutely horrific. That poor family. How does someone even end up going the wrong way on a motorway, genuinely baffling. Hope the child pulls through, can’t imagine what that must be like for the parents right now.
Absolutely horrific. That poor child and their family. How does someone even end up going the wrong way on a motorway, it’s not exactly easy to miss the signs is it. Hope the seriously injured all pull through.