A quiet journey to Dublin turned into a devastating motorway tragedy after a BMW traveling against traffic collided head-on with a family car. Five teenagers died in the crash while four people in the other vehicle were left seriously injured.
The fatal collision happened on the M9 at Moone in County Kildare during the early hours of Sunday, August 16. The BMW was reportedly believed to have been stolen and had already come to the attention of Gardaí, Lad Bible reported.
What happened next raised difficult questions regarding police protocol. The key issue centers on why Gardaí decided not to continue pursuing the BMW once it began traveling the wrong way down the motorway.
A terrible choice before five young lives were lost
Gardaí had attempted to stop the BMW before it entered the motorway against traffic. However, officers were reportedly instructed not to pursue it once it began traveling the wrong way. Garda Representative Association vice-president John Joe O’Connell explained that the decision was linked to the immediate danger posed to other motorists.
He said command and control would direct the response in a live situation while officers also had to make split-second decisions. O’Connell described the situation as “damned if you do and damned if you don’t.” He also warned that groups of young men have reportedly been filming dangerous interactions with Gardaí and wrong-way driving for social media. Tragically, this comes after another teenager lost his life in a car accident in England.
The BMW eventually collided with a Hyundai carrying a family traveling towards Dublin Airport for a holiday. All four people in the Hyundai were seriously injured. They included a seven-year-old boy.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly called the crash “horrific” and condemned wrong-way driving on motorways. Kelly also highlighted concerns about reckless driving being carried out for social media attention.
Kelly said the incident has been referred to Fiosrú, the Police Ombudsman. He said this limits what Gardaí can publicly discuss while the investigation continues. Sadly, it follows another road tragedy in California that claimed one life and left several injured.
The Commissioner also expressed sympathy for the injured family and emergency workers who attended the scene. Gardaí are expected to cooperate fully with the investigation.
Police are still seeking information about the crash. DNA testing is also likely to be required before the five teenage victims can be formally identified.
Published: Aug 17, 2026 07:30 pm