Investigation continues as five teens killed in Kildare crash named locally
Five teenagers were killed in the Kildare crash. The group of youths, all of them wearing balaclavas, were in a stolen BMW car, which had been taken from a housing estate in Athy at around 1am on Sunday. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Gardaí are investigating the backgrounds of five teenagers – one aged just 15 – who died when they drove a stolen BMW at high-speed the wrong way down a motorway and collided with a car carrying a family.
Three sisters and a seven-year-old boy were struck by the stolen car on the M9 motorway in Co Kildare as they travelled to Dublin Airport for a wedding in England.
Two of the sisters, including the mother of the child, suffered serious injuries and are in a critical condition in hospital.
The horrific incident happened in the early hours of Sunday when the youths decided — for a second time — to drive the wrong way down the motorway.
The five teenagers, who have yet to be formally identified, are from, or living in, Carlow, Kildare or Limerick.
One of them, Joey Carthy, from Athy, turned 15 last April.
Alex McCarthy, from Carlow, was aged 16.
The boys may be related, but this is still being confirmed.
Two youths, Kamil Pustkowski, who was living in Limerick, and Jack Kennedy, who was living in Athy, were both aged 17. Kamil was due to turn 18 next month.
The fifth teenager, Jeremy O’Brien, from Carlow, was aged 18.
It is understood that autopsies will be carried out over the coming days.
This group of youths, all of them wearing balaclavas, were in a stolen BMW car, which had been taken from a housing estate in Athy at around 1am on Sunday.
Read More
Gardaí started receiving calls from residents at this time after their doorbell cameras identified masked males trying to break into cars.
A responding patrol car spotted the BMW travelling at high speed in Athy before it went the wrong way down the M9. This car later exited the motorway and was spotted at a petrol station in the village of Kilcullen.
The BMW then proceeded to go down the M9 the wrong way, where it collided with the car carrying the family just after Junction 3, near Moone. The sisters and the boy were on their way to Dublin Airport at the time.
On Sunday night, the Garda Commissioner condemned as “reckless” drivers who engage in irresponsible behaviour “for social media likes” in the wake of the crash.
The Kildare crash is believed to be the latest in a social media trend in which drivers are filmed travelling the wrong way on motorways.
Yesterday’s incident is the second in just over a week involving injuries to drivers and passengers after a car was driven on the wrong side of the road.
One youth was left critical, and eight other people suffered injuries in a head-on collision on the M50 motorway in Dublin on August 9.
It later transpired that the car had been reported stolen.
In the aftermath of the latest incident, Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said: “My thoughts are with those injured in this collision on the M9.
"These family members were travelling innocently when they were struck by a vehicle being driven the wrong way down the motorway.
“That, of course, should be self-evident, but what makes this reckless behaviour even more appalling is that in some cases it is being done for social media likes, regardless of the potentially devastating impact it might have on innocent people and themselves.
“As this particular incident has been referred to Fiosrú, the Police Ombudsman, I am constrained in what I can say in detail about this. But I know that gardaí do what they can to stop such vehicles while also taking into consideration all other road users.”
Mr Kelly said gardaí are put in a “really challenging situation” when trying to deal with such incidents.
“As always, An Garda Síochána will fully co-operate with the Police Ombudsman investigation, which I hope is completed as expeditiously as possible... Such incidents show the difficult work we ask our gardaí to undertake every day to keep our communities safe.”
Garda Representative Association (GRA) vice president John Joe O'Connell said teenagers driving on the wrong side of dual carriageways or motorways for social media are "playing Russian roulette" with their lives and everyone else's lives.
Mr O'Connell said the horrific incident has left members of gardaí in shock and added that it was standard practice for gardaí not to follow a car if it was going down the wrong side of the motorway.
He also said that in some instances young drivers are trying to "outdo each other", putting up "social media posts and videos of their interactions with gardaí, engaging in the pursuit and then heading down the wrong way of a dual carriageway or a motorway," he told RTÉ's on Monday.
"And they are doing these for likes and reposts [...] of their achievements in evading gardaí. Our members are not going to follow them. We're kind of dammed if you do, and dammed if you don't in a way that way, you know?" he added.
Mr O'Connell said that gangs going down the wrong side of the motorway to evade gardaí is not new and has been happening since 2021.
However, he said, not one of its members has "pursuit training" and is calling for a proper driving training framework so that gardaí can deal with non-compliant stops.
"We actually have a huge amount of garda drivers out there who are trained in what's called CPD1.
"It is the lowest level of driver training, and would you believe it, they cannot, as per that policy of that driver training, activate blue lights and sirens. That's the starting point here," he told the radio programme on Monday.
Mr O'Connell said this "horrific incident" has left members of gardaí "all in shock".
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there can be “no tolerance” for reckless behaviour on Irish roads.
He said he is “shocked and saddened by the M9 crash, adding that his thoughts and prayers are with the victims.
“This is the second appalling crash we’ve seen on our roads in a matter of days as a result of the reckless driving of a car on the wrong side of the motorway, endangering the lives of innocent road users,” Mr Martin said.
“As the Garda Commissioner has said, it is an irresponsible and dangerous act and it is shocking that in some cases it is being done for likes on social media.
“There can be no tolerance for this reckless behaviour that we have seen on our roads recently. It must stop,” Mr Martin added.
He said he would be engaging with both Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan and Gardaí in relation to the crash, while also thanking the first responders for their work on what he described as a “devastating scene”.
Brian Dooley, a councillor in Athy, said: “People are devastated and shocked to hear what has happened, especially to that family heading to the airport.
“Nobody can imagine what it is like to get a knock at the door to say that your loved one is seriously injured in hospital, or killed.”
Councillor Ivan Keatley said: “All our thoughts and prayers and heartfelt sympathies are with the families of all involved.”
Commenting on the latest incident, the Road Safety Authority said: “Every road death is a tragedy and behind every person who loses their life is a family, friends, and a community left to deal with the devastating consequences.
“No journey should end with a family waiting for someone who will never come home.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
