Independent watchdog probes Dublin M50 crash after police pursuit of suspected stolen car

· Society IRL

Ireland's independent police watchdog has launched an investigation into a head-on collision on Dublin's M50 motorway that left nine people hospitalised, after officers had spotted the suspected stolen vehicle shortly before the crash.

Fiosrú received a mandatory referral from the Garda Síochána because injuries occurred following interaction with police. The probe, conducted under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, will examine garda driver training and communications between command and the patrol vehicle.

The crash occurred around 5:30 a.m. Sunday at Junction 12, Firhouse, when a car carrying eight male juveniles drove the wrong way down an on-ramp and collided head-on with another vehicle. One youth remains in critical condition, and the other driver, a man in his 20s, sustained serious injuries. The southbound M50 between Junctions 12 and 11 remains closed for forensic examination. Gardaí have appealed for dashcam footage from between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m.

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