A car carrying eight teenagers drove the wrong way down a ramp on to the M50 in Dublin, colliding head on with another vehicle.
The incident, which left nine people in hospital, took place in the early hours of Sunday morning on the M50 southbound at Junction 12, Firhouse, Co Dublin.
At around 5.30pm, gardaí and emergency services were alerted to a car travelling northbound on the southbound carriageway of the motorway. The vehicle was driving down the up ramp at Junction 12, when it collided head on with a car.
The eight male youths in the car were taken to a number of different hospitals for treatment. One remains in a critical condition.
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The male driver of the second car, who is in his 20s, was also taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Investigations are ongoing and Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman, has been notified.
The section of the M50 from Junction 12 to Junction 11 southbound remained closed on Sunday afternoon, with local diversions in place. A Garda forensic collision examination is taking place.
An Garda Síochána is appealing for witnesses to the incident to come forward, including those who were travelling on the M50 in either direction between Junction 11 and Junction 14.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Tallaght Garda station on 01 666 6000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
Separately, a man aged in his 20s is in a serious condition in hospital following a car crash in Co Kerry in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The crash involving a bus and a car happened at Aghatubrid, Caherciveen, at about 5am.
The young man who was driving the car was seriously injured and has been taken to Cork University Hospital.
The driver of the bus, a man aged in his 50s, was uninjured.
The road is currently closed and will be examined by Garda technical staff. Diversions are in place.
Gardaí have appealed for anyone who may have witnessed this crash to come forward. Anyone who was travelling on the N70 at Aghatubrid, between 4:30am and 5:00am and who may have dashcam footage of the incident or surrounding area is asked to make the footage available to investigating Gardaí.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Killarney Garda station on 064 667 1160, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
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