A stolen BMW driving the wrong way on the M9 motorway in County Kildare collided head-on with a family car, resulting in the deaths of five teenagers and serious injuries to four others.
The early hours of Sunday morning on the M9 motorway in County Kildare were marked by tragedy as a stolen BMW drove the wrong way, resulting in a horrific head-on collision with a family car. Five teenagers lost their lives, and four people were seriously injured, including a child.
The incident has left the community and Garda Representative Association (GRA) members in shock.
The stolen vehicle, attempting to evade Gardaí was driven southbound on the northbound carriageway between junction 3 and junction 4 near Moone. The collision occurred with a car carrying a family heading to Dublin Airport for a holiday.
GRA vice-president John Joe O’Connell described the incident, stating that the BMW had earlier failed to stop for Gardaí and that instructions were given not to engage with the vehicle as it traveled the wrong way.
The Incident and Its Aftermath
The crash involved two vehicles: a stolen BMW carrying five teenagers and a family car with three women and a seven-year-old boy. The three women, aged in their 20s and 30s, and the child were seriously injured, with two of the women in critical condition. The incident occurred at approximately 03:00 local time on Sunday.
Post-mortem examinations were scheduled for the bodies of the five teenage boys, who had strong links to Carlow town and Athy in County Kildare. The family in the second car was from the Carlow area. Gardaí confirmed that no pursuit was taking place before the collision. The Republic of Ireland’s police ombudsman, Fiosrú, is conducting its own investigation into the crash.
Gardaí’s Response and Challenges
The GRA highlighted that Gardaí are not trained to pursue stolen cars traveling the wrong way on a motorway. John Joe O’Connell emphasized the need to address incidents where teenage boys steal cars and engage in reckless driving for social media attention. He described these actions as “playing Russian roulette with their lives and everyone else’s lives.”
O’Connell also mentioned that Gardaí face internal sanctions, discipline, and possible criminal offenses when they decide to engage in pursuits. He urged parents to talk to their sons about the potential consequences of getting into stolen cars for social media clicks. Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly described the collision as “horrific” and warned about the dangers of driving on the wrong side of motorways for social media likes.
Broader Implications and Community Impact
The tragic incident on the M9 motorway has sparked discussions about the broader implications of reckless driving and the role of social media in encouraging such behavior. The previous weekend, nine people were injured in a similar head-on collision on the M50 in Dublin involving a car traveling in the wrong direction.
Kelly emphasized the irresponsible and dangerous nature of driving on the wrong side of the motorway, particularly when done for social media likes. He noted that Gardaí are put in challenging situations dealing with such incidents while considering the safety of all road users. The community is urged to come forward with any information or dashcam footage that could aid the investigation.
