Man who drove wrong way down motorway suspected of killing his wife

Gardaí believe a man, who was killed when he drove his car the wrong way down a motorway, was taking his own life after murdering his wife.

Gardaí discovered the body of a woman with serious head injuries in a large-detached house at Rathmore, Hackballscross in Co Louth at about 3.45pm on Monday.

The discovery of her remains was made less than two hours after a fatal crash that claimed the life of her husband on the M1 northbound carriageway between junction 14 and 15 near Ardee.

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It is understood the deceased was driving the wrong way up the northbound lane when the collision occurred with another car and truck. Photograph: Eric Luke / The Irish Times

He collided with another car and truck after he had driven the wrong way down the motorway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three people in the second car were brought to Our Lady of Lourdes hospital, Drogheda, where their injuries are described as non-life threatening.

The house, where the woman’s body was found, has been sealed off.

The body remained at the scene pending the arrival of a pathologist to carry out a preliminary examination of the remains where they were discovered.

Garda sources said the exact cause of the woman’s death had not yet been established.

However, the same sources said there were visible injuries on the body, including a number of head wounds.

Gardaí said while the investigation was still in its early stages, it was being treated as a murder-suicide.

It is understood the dead couple had a number of grown up children.

Investigating gardaí have appealed for witnesses to the collision to contact Ardee garda station on (041) 6871130, the Garda confidential telephone line 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

Gardaí say the motorway will remain closed for some time and traffic diversions are in place.

Gardaí at Hackballscross are investigating all the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the woman’s body.