A number of people have died and others have been seriously injured in a crash involving a car driving in the wrong direction on a motorway in Co Kildare, Irish police said.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly has described the head-on collision between two cars on the M9 as “horrific” and warned that “in some cases” vehicles are being driven on the wrong side of motorways for social media likes.
Gardaí said they are investigating the circumstances of the crash at junction 3 at about 3am on Sunday.
One of those seriously injured in the crash is a child.
Emergency services were alerted to a vehicle travelling southbound on the M9 northbound carriageway.
The vehicle was travelling between junctions 3 and 4 when it collided head-on with another car.
The wreckage of the crash was visible on the motorway on Sunday morning.
A gardaí spokesperson said: “A number of fatalities have occurred and no further details are available at this time.”
The spokesperson said the female driver and front-seat passenger, both in their 30s, of the second car have been taken to Tallaght University Hospital and both remain in a critical condition.
A female rear-seat passenger, in her 20s, was taken to St Luke’s General Hospital and is in a serious condition.
The third passenger, a child, has been taken to the Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin and is in a serious condition.
The M9 from junction 3 to junction 4 northbound and southbound remains closed with local diversions in place.
A Garda forensic collision examination will take place.
Gardaí are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the collision to come forward.
Mr Kelly said: “My thoughts are with those injured in this morning’s collision on the M9.