Two dead as mother and daughter fight for life after 'devastating' Meath crash

The lorry driver, a man in his 40s, and the driver of the Bus Éireann vehicle, a man in his 50s, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Two men are dead and a mother and daughter are fighting for their lives after a second horror crash within the space of just over a week.

The scene of this morning’s collision in Co Meath between a lorry, a bus, and a car is fewer than 50km from where five people in their 20s died last week in Co Louth.

The accident happened on the R132 in Gormanston Cross at about 6.30am.

The lorry driver, a man in his 40s, and the driver of the Bus Éireann vehicle, a man in his 50s, were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the car, a woman in her 40s, was taken to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin for treatment of serious injuries, while her teenage daughter was taken to Temple Street with serious injuries.

It is understood that up to 12 people on the bus were also treated for their injuries.

Emergency services remained at the scene all day while gardaí put traffic diversions in place.

It brings to 161 the number of people killed on Irish roads this year, up seven compared to the same period in 2024, while the number of fatal accidents has also risen. 

There have been 152 road accidents involving fatalities as of yesterday, compared to 141 at this stage of November last year, according to official Garda statistics.

Jean O’Sullivan, CEO of Bus Éireann, said: “We are devastated by this tragic incident. Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and colleagues of our Bus Éireann driver who has sadly lost his life, and with the family and friends of the driver of the other vehicle, who also passed away."

The loss of a colleague is a shock to everyone across Bus Éireann, and co-workers are devastated at the loss, she said.

"Our thoughts are also with our passengers and with the occupants of the third vehicle who have been injured and are receiving care in hospital," she said.

“At Bus Éireann, safety is our highest priority, and we, of course, are co-operating with the relevant authorities. We remain committed to supporting all those affected and assisting the authorities in every way we can.” 

Minister of state with responsibility for road safety, Seán Canney, said the "devastating incident" at Gormanstown Cross has "left me and the nation shocked and upset".

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and communities of those involved, including our colleagues in Bus Éireann, as they try to cope with this tragic incident. The emergency services that are attending the scene today have my utmost admiration for their dedication and professionalism during these difficult times.”