Irish couple killed in motorway crash in Wales

AN Irish couple in their 60s died on a British motorway yesterday when a car being chased by police smashed into them head-on while travelling in the wrong direction.

Five people died in the accident on the M4 in Wales.

The couple had just disembarked the Rosslare to Fishguard ferry after travelling to Ireland to visit family.

British police could not confirm that the couple were Irish, but it is believed they were originally from Co Mayo.

A police inquiry was launched into the accident.

The independent police complaints commission will examine the circumstances surrounding the collision, which happened shortly after 3am on the M4 in Newport, south Wales.

A red Ford Mondeo travelling in the wrong direction had been pursued by Gwent Police beforehand, and collided with a red Volvo 940 on the eastbound carriageway between junctions 24 and 25.

Three young men in the Mondeo were pronounced dead at the scene, along with the couple driving the red Volvo 940.

The only survivor of the crash, an 18-year-old man travelling in the Mondeo, was in a critical condition at the Royal Gwent Hospital, with multiple fractures.

A spokesman for Gwent Police said: “We can confirm that there have been five fatalities.

“The identification of the deceased is currently being ascertained and their families informed.”