Teen killed in overnight head-on collision in Cork named

A number of teens in the car were injured while the female driver of the other car is in serious condition

Johnny Foley

The 16 year-old boy killed in a head-on collision in north Cork overnight has been named locally as Johnny Foley from Spur Hill in Cork city.

He had been a front seat passenger in a car that had come to the attention of gardaí earlier in the evening. The car crashed into another car on the M8 at Ballybeg, Mitchelstown at around 1am.

The driver of the car, a teenage boy, and three other passengers — a man in his late teens and his 14 year-old sister as well as another teenage boy were all taken to Cork University Hospital (CUH) where they are receiving treatment for non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of the other car involved, a woman in her 30s, was taken to CUH, where she is being treated for serious injuries. It is understood she was on her way to Dublin Airport for an early morning flight.

Details of what happened earlier in the evening are now coming to light.

It is understood the car carrying the teenagers was involved in the attempted theft of another vehicle in Glanworth. The homeowner called gardaí and when they arrived the other car sped off.

It headed towards Kildorrery where an attempt to stop it failed. It then drove towards Mitchelstown and onto Kilbehenny before turning back towards Mitchelstown driving southbound on the northbound side of the motorway before it collided with the other car.

Traffic being diverted off the motorway near Mitchelstown following a fatal collision on the M8 motorway.

A number of fire engines and garda cars remain at the scene this lunchtime and it is still closed to allow for a technical examination, with local diversions in place.

A spokesperson said: "Gardaí are appealing to anyone with information to come forward to them.

"Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who may have video footage (including dash-cam) is asked to contact Gardaí.

"Gardaí can be contacted at Mitchelstown Garda Station on 025 84833, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station."

The incident has been referred to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) as one of the vehicles had had an "interaction" with gardaí beforehand.

A statement from Gsoc read: "Gsoc received a referral from An Garda Síochána on July 1, 2023, following a road traffic collision in the Mitchelstown area of Cork that took place in the early hours of the morning.

"The referral was made by a Garda Superintendent under section 102(1) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005.

"The matter is now under examination by Gsoc further to Section 91 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005. No further comment will be made at this time."