Five boys in fatal M9 crash named locally
Scene of the crash on the M9. Credit: Aisling Hyland Photography
THE five teenage boys who were killed in a head-on collision on the M9 motorway, which has also left four people in serious and critical condition in hospital, have been named locally.
The boys were killed when the car they were travelling in, which was being driven down the wrong side of the M9 motorway near junction 3 Moone, struck a car heading in the direction of Dublin.
Two of the five teenagers were from Carlow, two were from Athy and the fifth spent some time living in Dublin.
Jeremy O’Brien (17) and Alex McCarthy (17) both from Carlow; Alex’s cousin, Joey McCarthy (15) and Jack Kennedy (17) who were from Athy and their friend, 17-year-old Kamil Pustkowski who was raised in various parts of the country, were all killed instantly in the crash.
A local, known to the families of some of the deceased and who wished to remain anonymous, said that while the “ultimate blame lays with the boys,” their deaths are still a tragedy and the culmination of a “variety of different reasons”.
She was critical of the reaction of members of the public on social media, describing instances where people had sought out the boys and their families’ social media accounts to leave comments in the aftermath of their deaths.
“No matter the circumstances, five children lost their lives and multiple families are grieving,” she said.
She also disputed some reports in the media that the deceased were part of a wider organised crime group.
“These boys were not an organised gang of car thieves but a bunch of chaotic teenagers driven by TikTok likes,” who were doing it for the “rush of the chase” she said.
Speaking on RTÉ’s , Fr Tom Little, PP, Askea/Bennekerry said his thoughts are with the families of those involved.
“I'm very sorry for those that have lost their life. I'm very sorry, too, for the ones that have been injured and I wish, like everybody in the community, a speedy recovery for them,” he said.
Fr Little, who said he has been in contact with the family of the four people injured, as well as the families of the deceased, added: "It'll be a long road to recovery for the families that have lost loved ones. We express our deepest, sincere sympathy to them in their loss and our prayers and our thoughts are for those that are injured and wish them a speedy recovery.”
