12 killed in wrong-way crashes across England and Ireland
Twelve people have been killed in less than a week in separate wrong-way driving crashes in England and Ireland, intensifying concerns over reckless motorists who deliberately drive against traffic and, in some cases, record the stunts for social media.
Seven people, including two police officers, were killed early Saturday when a Volkswagen Passat traveling the wrong way on the A66 near South Bank in Middlesbrough, northeastern England, collided head-on with a marked Cleveland Police vehicle.
The crash occurred at about 3:39 a.m. local time after officers had been pursuing a suspicious vehicle. The Passat struck the police car while traveling against traffic, killing the two officers inside and five occupants of the Volkswagen.
All seven victims died at the scene.
Police pursuit under investigation
Emergency services deployed 14 ambulance resources, specialist medical teams and a doctor from the Great North Air Ambulance Service.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct opened an investigation into the circumstances of the collision, including the police pursuit.
The A66 was closed in both directions between Normanby Road and Church Lane in Eston while investigators examined the scene.
The deaths came less than a week after a separate wrong-way crash in Ireland that killed five teenagers and seriously injured four other people.
Five teenagers killed in Ireland
On Aug. 16, a black BMW traveling the wrong way on the northbound M9 motorway near Moone in County Kildare collided head-on with a Hyundai.
Five teenagers in the BMW died. They were identified locally as Kamil Pustkowski, 17, Joey “Joe” Carthy, 15, Alex McCarthy, 17, Jack Kennedy, 17, and Jeremy O’Brien, 18.
Four people in the Hyundai, including a 7-year-old boy, were seriously injured. The group included three women from the same family who were traveling toward Dublin Airport for a family wedding in Britain. Two of the women were reported to be in critical condition.
BMW linked to suspected burglaries
Ireland’s national police force, Garda Siochána, said the BMW had been linked to suspected break-ins or burglaries in the Carlow and Athy areas earlier that night.
Officers attempted to stop the vehicle after it was reported in connection with the incidents, but the driver failed to stop.
Investigators believe the BMW traveled the wrong way on the M9 more than once. Garda officers prepared measures, including stinger devices, near an exit ramp, but the vehicle continued before the fatal collision.
Police were not pursuing the BMW when the crash occurred. Garda policy generally prohibits officers from chasing vehicles traveling against traffic on a motorway because of the extreme danger to other motorists.
Social media under scrutiny
The Garda investigation has also examined social media activity connected to some of the teenagers. Authorities said some had previously posted or been linked to videos showing reckless driving, including wrong-way driving.
The M9 crash followed another serious incident on Aug. 9, when a stolen vehicle carrying eight teenagers was driven the wrong way, including down an entrance ramp, onto Dublin’s M50 motorway near Junction 12 at Firhouse.
The vehicle collided with another car, injuring all nine people involved. One teenager suffered critical injuries.
Authorities have increasingly identified social media as a factor in a series of dangerous driving incidents involving young people.
Ireland considers tougher measures
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly described the M9 crash as horrific and said the behavior was particularly disturbing because some drivers appeared to be committing dangerous offenses for social media attention.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said there could be no tolerance for such reckless behavior, while Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan condemned what he called criminal behavior and said the government was considering making wrong-way motorway driving a specific offense.
Irish authorities have described a pattern involving groups of predominantly teenage males stealing vehicles, driving recklessly and sometimes deliberately entering motorways in the wrong direction after failing to stop for police.
Some of the activity has been filmed and shared on platforms including TikTok.
Police face limits in motorway pursuits
Garda officers generally cannot pursue vehicles traveling against traffic because doing so could place innocent motorists at even greater risk.
The Garda Representative Association has called for improved training for officers dealing with motorists who refuse to stop.
Ireland’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, and an Oireachtas committee have also sought explanations from TikTok about content that may glorify illegal and dangerous driving. TikTok has said it removes content that violates its rules and is monitoring material connected to the incidents.
Wrong-way crashes pose extreme risks
Wrong-way collisions are among the most dangerous crashes on high-speed roads because vehicles can approach each other at extremely high closing speeds, leaving drivers little or no time to react.
Such incidents can result from impairment, confusion or mistakes. But authorities in Ireland are increasingly concerned about cases in which drivers appear to enter opposing lanes deliberately and record the behavior for online attention.
The deadly A66 crash in England has also raised separate questions about police pursuits and the risks officers face when a suspect vehicle begins traveling against traffic.
Source:DailySabah
