Overview
- A car driving the wrong way on the M9 near Arty in County Kildare collided with another vehicle on Sunday, killing five adolescents who were all in the wrong‑way car.
- Four people in the other vehicle — three women and a boy — were taken to hospital with serious injuries, with the driver and another passenger reported in critical condition.
- Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly described the crash as 'horrific' and officials, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, warned that some wrong‑way driving appears driven by a quest for social‑media attention.
- Gardaí have opened a formal investigation, said emergency services had been alerted minutes before the collision, and issued an urgent appeal for witnesses and any footage of the incident.
- Authorities framed the crash as part of a recent pattern of similar wrong‑way motorway incidents, prompting debate about youth behaviour, police pursuit guidance, and possible changes to road‑safety measures.