Carlow crash 'one of the most severe I've attended - it was really, really traumatic,' says Supt

Garda Superintendent Anthony Farrell has described Wednesday night's fatal crash in Carlow that claimed the lives of three young people as "one of the most severe I've attended" in his 25 years of service, saying it was "really, really traumatic". 

Giving an update today, Thursday, outside Carlow Garda station on the tragic single-vehicle crash which occurred at around 11.30pm on Wednesday night, where three of the vehicle's four occupants were pronounced dead at the scene with a fourth hospitalised. 

"This morning, just after midnight An Garda Síochána attended the scene of a fatal road traffic collision. Three fatalities were at the scene including one person who was injured and removed to hospital in St Luke's and since been transferred to a Dublin hospital," Superintendent Farrell stated.

"An Garda Síochána have connected with a number of families in connection with these tragedies and the process is underway with formal identification. An Garda Síochána want to express sincere sympathies to the families affected by this tragedy and indeed the wider community.

"Road traffic fatalities are becoming a significant problem. An Garda Síochána here locally, and indeed nationally, are focusing our efforts on different strategies in an effort to reduce these road traffic fatalities including here in Carlow where we focus on education, engagement, enforcement and we also work with our local authorities and our joint stakeholders in terms of engineering solutions."

The Superintendent expressed concern about the crash's impact on gardaí and the wider community.

"It was a horrific scene last night. I'm very conscious of the impact this would have on our own team. To see three young people in very bad conditions, we're very conscious of members who were there and we're putting all the welfare supports available to them. We're conscious of family and the impact of this particular tragedy on families but also on the wider community and how that impacts in general.

"This is the first great road traffic collision of 2024 and in my 25 years of service probably one of the most severe cases that I've attended. It was really really traumatic.

"We had our local parish priest, Father Tom Little, attend the scene and exercise Last Rites for all the family and also say a prayer with emergency services.

"There's no indication [as to what caused the crash], An Garda Síochána are exploring all different avenues in the investigation.

Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.

"We make an appeal for people who might have been on the Wexford Road area of the Town. It's believed that the car might have been at Junction 5, Circle K, Tinryland and might have left there to go to Ballon just before the accident. That's a strong line of investigation and the accident seems happened on the way back. Maybe people in the area might have dash-cam footage, maybe people were on the road at the time or anyone indeed who has any information that might assist the Gardaí's investigation, please contact Carlow Garda Station on 059 9136620.

"It's a red Lexus vehicle. It's difficult to identify the model of the vehicle - the damage to the car was so severe.

"The victims range [in age] from nineteen to twenty-two. Young people in the prime of their lives, just starting out. The family are obviously devastated by the impact of this in the news that they've received.

"We're working very closely with family. Family liaison officers have been appointed to support the family during this process. We're very very conscious of the difficult news that this brings both directly on the family and indeed indirectly on the family."

Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling on the N80 at Leagh between 11:15pm and midnight are asked to make this footage available to Gardaí.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Carlow Garda station on 059 913 6620, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.