Reckless drivers were seen driving in the wrong direction on the M50 and N3 in the early hours, before crashing. The incident occurred around 3:30 am on Thursday, just days after a tragic accident claimed the lives of five teenagers who were driving the wrong way on the M9 last weekend.
Details of the Incident
It is believed that officers first noticed the vehicle, suspected to have been stolen earlier in the evening, on St. Margaret's Road in Ballymun. The car failed to stop and is thought to have driven against traffic on the M50 before exiting the motorway and continuing to drive in the wrong direction on the N3.
Officers were instructed to stand down. The vehicle did not collide with any other cars and was later discovered crashed and abandoned in Ashtown, reports the Irish Mirror.
Garda Investigation
Upon contact, a Garda spokesperson confirmed they have initiated an investigation "following an incident of dangerous driving." They stated: "Gardaí on patrol responded to an incident of dangerous driving on St. Margaret's Road, Ballymun, Dublin 11 on Thursday 20th August 2026 at approximately 3:30am. The driver of the vehicle failed to stop for Gardaí. The suspect vehicle did not collide with any other vehicle. The suspect vehicle was subsequently recovered by Gardaí. Investigations are ongoing."
M9 Tragedy Background
Last Sunday, five teenagers lost their lives when they collided with another car carrying three women and a young boy. The deceased are Jeremy O'Brien, 18, and Alex McCarthy, 17 from Carlow; Jack Kennedy, 17, and Joey Carthy, 15 from Athy in Kildare, and Kamil Pustkowski, 17, from Limerick. Their lives were tragically cut short when their BMW was involved in a head-on collision on the motorway in Kildare around 3am on Sunday. They were speeding on the wrong side of the road and collided head-on with a Hyundai car carrying four innocent members of the Kinsella family from Carlow, who were en route to Dublin Airport. The four — a seven year old boy along with sisters Niamh and Alma Kinsella and Ella Hendricken — all sustained serious injuries in the horrific crash.
