Girl (5) critical after storm crash

A FIVE-YEAR-OLD girl from the east side of the city is in a critical condition at Dublin’s Temple Street Hospital following a horror three vehicle crash on the M6 motorway on Wednesday evening near Athenry during the height of the storm.

Four other people were hospitalised after the accident that led to the overnight closure of the Galway bound side of the motorway, to allow a full forensic examination of the scene to take place.

Gardai aren’t ruling out the possibility that the storm force winds blowing at the time could have been a factor in the accident and this morning they have appealed for any witnesses to contact them.

The accident occurred at around 7.10pm on Wednesday evening when a Ford Focus car, carrying four people – a man, woman and two children – appears to have been struck from behind by a BMW car travelling in the same direction at Newford, Athenry.

That contact led to the Ford Focus car spinning out of control and it then collided with another BMW car being driven in the outside lane, also travelling in the direction of Galway.

The critically injured child is understood to have been thrown from the car following the first impact and was subsequently rushed by ambulance to University Hospital Galway before being transferred to Dublin’s Temple Street Hospital.

The Galway City Tribune understands that the child is in intensive care and is in a critical condition – the four other people who were hospitalised following the crash have since been released.

A Garda spokesman has appealed for anyone with information on the accident to contact them at 091-538000. “Weather conditions were very poor at the time with high winds and heavy rain – this may have been a factor,” said a Garda spokesman.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.