A number of people have died and others have been seriously injured in a crash on a motorway in Co Kildare, Irish police said. The crash occurred on the M9 near Athy in Kildare shortly after 3am today (August 16).
Head-on collision on M9
It followed calls to the Gardaí of a vehicle seen travelling southbound on the northbound carriageway. The vehicle was travelling between junctions 3 and 4 when it collided head-on with another car.
Gardaí have not confirmed the precise number of deaths in relation to the crash but said there had sadly been a "number of fatalities". Three adults and a child were also seriously injured in the crash, two of the injured have been described as being in a critical condition.
Injured taken to hospital
A female driver and front passenger, both aged in their 30s, in a second car have been taken to Tallaght University Hospital, and both remain in critical condition, reports Cork Beo.
A Garda spokesperson said: "Gardaí in Athy are investigating all the circumstances of a fatal road traffic collision that occurred on the M9 Northbound at Junction 3 in the early hours of this morning, Sunday 16th August 2026, at approximately 3:00 am.
"Gardaí and emergency services were alerted to a vehicle travelling southbound on the northbound carriageway of the M9. The vehicle was driving on the M9 between junctions 3 and 4 when a head-on collision occurred with a second car. A number of fatalities have occurred, and no further details are available at this time."
Appeal for dashcam footage
Gardaí are appealing to road users who were travelling on the M9 northbound or southbound between 2:00 am and 3:00 am this morning, Sunday 16th August, 2026 and who may have dashcam footage of the incident or the surrounding area to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Athy Garda Station on 01 666 6000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
