Probe into crash which killed father and son

Investigators are today trying to piece together the circumstances leading up to a multiple car crash that claimed the lives of a father and son.

Michael Connors and his son Gerry, from Ballytore, Co Kildare, were both killed when their car plunged head on into a mini-bus carrying a college camogie team on the N9.

It is believed their Toyota Carina was involved in a separate collision with a pick-up truck and another car just seconds beforehand.

One line of investigation is that after striking the pick-up they veered onto the wrong side of the road, between Kilcullen and Castledermot, before smashing into the bus.

Four of the 14 girls on the mini-bus, which was making its way back to the Institute of Technology Carlow after a camogie match in Dundalk, were taken to hospital with minor injuries and were later released.

Four other people injured in the original collision, including two non-nationals in the pick-up truck and two others in a Ford car, where also released from Naas General Hospital after minor medical treatment.

Investigating officer Superintendent John Murphy said until all witnesses are interviewed he cannot say exactly what caused the crash shortly after 8.30pm last night.

Michael (49) and Gerry (21) Connors were only a couple of hundred yards from the turn-off on the N9 to their home at Millview, Ballytore, when they were killed.

They had been travelling from the direction of Carlow at the time.

Both the accidents, just 300 yards and several seconds apart from each other, happened on a good stretch of road and driving conditions were good at the time.

“We believe the two accidents are connected,” said Supt Murphy.