Five Teens Killed in Wrong-Way Motorway Crash Had Been ‘Terrorising Communities’ for Weeks

Five teenagers died early on Sunday morning after the stolen BMW they were travelling in crashed head-on into a family car while driving the wrong way down the M9 motorway in County Kildare, Ireland. The group, aged between 15 and 18, had reportedly been involved in a fortnight-long spree of break-ins and car thefts that left local communities on edge.

The collision occurred around 3am on 16 August 2026 near Moone, between junctions 3 and 4 on the northbound carriageway. The teenagers’ high-powered BMW was travelling south against the flow of traffic when it struck a Hyundai carrying three sisters and a seven-year-old boy. The family — sisters Alma and Niamh Kinsella (both in their 30s) and Ellie Hendricken (in her 20s), along with the young boy — were heading to Dublin Airport to catch a flight to England for a family wedding. All four sustained serious injuries and remain in hospital; two of the women are in critical condition.

The five deceased have been named locally as Joey Carthy, 15, from Athy; Alex McCarthy, 17, from Carlow; Jeremy O’Brien, 18, from Carlow; Jack Kennedy, 17, from Athy; and Kamil Pustkowski, 17, from Limerick. When gardaí arrived at the scene, all five were found wearing balaclavas or masks. Their bodies were taken to Naas General Hospital for post-mortem examinations.

Kamil Pustowski was one of five teenagers to die in the collision. One video posted in tribute to Pustkowski showed a man carrying out dangerous manoeuvres in a vehicle with the comment, 'this one's for you, Kamil'

Joey Carthy also died in the crash on the M9 motorway. In a social media tribute, someone published a picture of a balaclava with the caption: 'Your bally (sic) you gave me the other day. My heart's in bits. Please, man. Don't do this to us, Joe.'

Alex McCarthy was one of the five boys who died in the collision in County Kildare on Sunday morning

Jeremy O'Brien was one of five teenagers to lose his life in the collision. His cousin wrote in tribute: 'RIP to my cousin. [He] was like a brother. [May] God give you the bed in heaven, you'll be missed.'

Jack Kennedy was the fifth teenage boy to lose his life in the crash yesterday 

Security sources told the Irish Daily Mail that the teenagers had been “terrorising communities” across the Kildare and Carlow areas for at least two weeks prior to the crash. They were suspected of multiple car thefts, burglaries and anti-social behaviour, often targeting vehicles without immobilisers for joyriding. The group frequently posted videos of gardaí chases and dangerous driving — including one filmed from a rear-view mirror captioned “wrong way” — on social media. Tools used to steal cars were also shared online. Gardaí believe the same individuals carried out a burglary in the area hours before the fatal collision and are investigating links to other attempted car robberies that night.

One source told us and said there is a growing trend among some teenagers of escalating dangerous stunts for social media attention, creating a “nightmare” for police who are often ordered to stand down from pursuits to avoid endangering the public. “These lads were not the only ones who have done things of this nature,” the source said. “It’s becoming a growing social media trend.” Some reports have linked the group to the so-called “Lucky Dip” burglary and car-theft network that originated in Dublin, though later accounts indicated no formal ties.

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly condemned the “irresponsible and dangerous driving,” noting that such behaviour is sometimes undertaken “for social media likes regardless of the potentially devastating impact it might have on innocent people and themselves.” GRA vice-president John Joe O’Connell confirmed the BMW had failed to stop for gardaí earlier and that officers were instructed not to engage once it entered the motorway the wrong way — standard practice to prioritise public safety. No pursuit was underway at the moment of impact.

The tragedy has drawn widespread reaction. Taoiseach Micheál Martin expressed shock and sadness, while Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan condemned the “reckless criminal behaviour” in the strongest terms. Local figures, including a Carlow priest and school principal who knew one of the victims, spoke of the profound grief affecting families on both sides and the broader community.

The incident follows a similar wrong-way collision on the M50 in Dublin the previous weekend that injured nine people. A forensic collision investigation is ongoing, and gardaí have appealed for witnesses. The crash has renewed calls for stronger measures to address underage joyriding, social-media-driven recklessness and the challenges of policing young offenders. As post-mortems proceed and the injured family continues treatment, communities in Kildare and Carlow are left mourning five young lives cut short while reflecting on the human cost of a pattern of behaviour that had already left many feeling unsafe.