M9 Motorway Collision Leaves Several Seriously Injured, Investigation Underway

The crash, involving a car driving in the wrong direction, occurred at approximately 3 am between junctions 3 and 4. Emergency services had been alerted to a vehicle traveling southbound on the M9 northbound carriageway just prior to the two-vehicle collision.

A gardaí spokesperson confirmed multiple fatalities; no further details are available at this time. Multiple fatalities are understood to have resulted from the incident, with the bodies of deceased teenagers reportedly taken to Naas General Hospital for postmortem examinations.

Four occupants of the second vehicle, comprising three adults and a male child, are currently hospitalized with serious injuries. Two women in their 30s are reportedly in critical condition, while a child passenger is in serious condition at Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin.

Family liaison officers have been appointed to relatives of the occupants of both vehicles. The M9 remains closed in both directions between junctions 3 and 4, with diversions in place, as a garda forensic collision examination is underway.

Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman, has been notified and commenced an independent investigation into the incident. Fiosrú stated the referral was made following a fatal road traffic incident on the M9.

One of Fiosrú’s on-call team of investigators attended the scene; their independent investigation is ongoing.

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly expressed his thoughts for those injured and for the emergency services, stating his thoughts are with those injured in this morning’s collision on the M9.

Commissioner Kelly linked this incident to a similar one on the M50 in Dublin the previous weekend, where nine people were injured. He stated, "this horrific incident, following the recent collision on the M50, shows how irresponsible and dangerous driving on the wrong side of the motorway is."

Kelly claimed vehicles are being driven on the wrong side of motorways for social media likes, describing it as "reckless behavior even more appalling." He added, "these family members were traveling innocently when they were struck by a vehicle being driven the wrong way down the motorway."

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly indicated that These family members were traveling innocently when they were struck by a vehicle being driven the wrong way down the motorway.

Commissioner Kelly noted gardaí are in a "challenging situation" dealing with such incidents, while also confirming full cooperation with the Fiosrú investigation. He hopes the Police Ombudsman investigation is completed "as expeditiously as possible."