Police have released a major update on the wrong-way motorway collision in Ireland that claimed the lives of five teenagers and left a family of four seriously injured. The family were driving to Dublin airport to fly to England for a wedding.
The devastating incident happened in the early hours of Sunday morning (August 16) on the M9 in County Kildare, Ireland. Five teenagers travelling in a BMW at speeds exceeding 74mph were pronounced dead at the scene by Irish police (Gardai). The group lost their lives after colliding head-on with a Hyundai carrying three women and a 7-year-old boy. All four Hyundai passengers, who were from the same family, sustained 'serious' injuries.
Injuries and hospital treatment
The 7-year-old boy is being treated at Crumlin Children's Hospital. It was reported on Monday (August 17) that he suffered a broken leg. The female driver and front seat passenger remain critically ill in Tallaght University Hospital in south Dublin. The woman who was in the back seat beside the boy was in a serious condition at St. Luke's General Hospital in Kilkenny, but was later moved to St Vincent's Hospital in south Dublin.
Tributes to the boys who died
Two days after the tragedy, the teenage boys have been formally identified. They are Jeremy O'Brien, 18, from Carlow; Alex McCarthy, 17, from Carlow; Joey Carthy, 15, from Athy, Kildare; Jack Kennedy, 17, also from Athy; and Kamil Pustkowski, 17, from Limerick, reports the Mirror.
Heartfelt tributes have poured in from their families and friends. Jeremy O'Brien's mother, Margaret, posted: "Rest in heavenly peace, my beautiful son. Things will never be the same without you. You took a piece of my heart to heaven with you. It was such a privilege to be your mother. I am so proud of you."
One post paying tribute to Joe Carthy said: "Why did it have to be you of all people? You would never see a bad bone in his body. He really was going to make something when he grew up." Tributes were also paid to Limerick-born Kamil Pustkowski. One pal said on TikTok: "Rest easy, Kamil. Look over all of us." Another pal said: "Only spoke the other day and was planning to meet. My heart's broken bro, missing ye already. We will all do ye proud brother."
Investigation update and debate
The tributes have emerged as police have issued an update on the investigation into the crash. Initially, gardai believed the teens had stolen the car after receiving reports of young suspects trying to break into vehicles and houses in nearby Athy at around 2am on Sunday. But cops are now satisfied that the BMW was legitimately purchased by an associate of one of the teenagers for €1,100 (£940).
The tragedy has sparked debate in Ireland over how the gardai should respond to such incidents, as officers did not pursue the vehicle when it drove the wrong way down the motorway. As detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash, Fiosru, the police ombudsman, is also examining Garda contact with the BMW before the collision.
A video showing another car being driven against the flow of motorway traffic has also prompted calls for road safety enforcement in the wake of the horrific M9 crash. The clip, shared widely on social media, shows a vehicle travelling at speed while driving the wrong way down a busy road. The short video shows the car narrowly avoiding two oncoming heavy goods vehicles, with the second truck swiftly moving over to avoid a potential collision.
It is one of a number of alleged joyriding clips that have surfaced in recent days following a crash on the M50 last week and Sunday's horrific head-on crash that claimed the lives of five teenagers. Representatives for frontline officers are now calling for appropriate pursuit training to deal with these incidents going forward.
The Irish Taoiseach, Micheal Martin, said he was "shocked and saddened" at the tragedy, which he described as being the result of "an irresponsible and dangerous act". He said such incidents are, in some cases, "being done for likes on social media". He said: "This is the second appalling crash we've seen on our roads in a matter of days as a result of the reckless driving of a car on the wrong side of the motorway, endangering the lives of innocent road users."
