Call for new safety measures on motorways after teen dies in head-on collision in Cork
Traffic being diverted off the motorway near Mitchelstown following the fatal collision on the M8 motorway.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is to be asked to put safety measures in place to prevent people driving the wrong way down the M8 in North Cork.
It comes as a 16-year-old was killed in a head-on collision on the motorway at Ballybeg, Mitchelstown, over the weekend.
He has been named locally as Johnny Foley from Spur Hill in Cork city. He had been the front-seat passenger of the car.
The driver of the car, a teenage boy, and three other passengers—a man in his late teens, his 14-year-old sister and 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.
The Mayor of County Cork Frank O’Flynn, said there were far too many collisions of this nature happening and something has to be done in future to prevent them.
The Fianna Fáil councillor said some countries have installed systems where vehicles going the wrong way down a slip road are detected in advance and a barrier comes up from the road to prevent them going any further.
“I have nearly made the mistake myself and I have often seen others who have realised they have taken a wrong turn and then reversed their vehicle back up the slip road. These accidents are happening far too often and as TII is responsible for the motorway network I will be contacting them and asking for this to be addressed,” Mr O’Flynn said.
Mr O’Flynn said he wanted to sympathise with the family of Mr Foley and hoped all the others injured in the crash make a speedy recovery.
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.
The incident has been referred to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission as one of the vehicles had had an "interaction" with gardaí beforehand.
