‘Every parent’s worst nightmare’: Teenagers suffer life-changing injuries in Dún Laoghaire crash

Members of the community in Dún Laoghaire, south Dublin, are in shock following a serious car crash that left several teenagers with catastrophic injuries, local councillors have said.

The teenagers were outside the nearby newsagent’s shop in the Monkstown Farm area when a car mounted the footpath and struck them on Sunday afternoon. They are being treated for their injuries, some of which are life-changing, in hospital.

The collision involved a car and six pedestrians, three male and three female teenagers, ranging from 13 to 15 years old.

Three of the teenagers were taken to Children’s Health Ireland Temple Street and three to Children’s Health Ireland Crumlin.

It is understood the woman driving the car suffered a medical emergency, though this is yet to be confirmed. She is also being treated for her injuries in hospital.

Several councillors spoke about the incident at a Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown council meeting on Monday evening, extending their well wishes to everyone impacted.

Several councillors spoke to The Irish Times after the meeting.

Fine Gael Cllr Lorraine Hall said: “All of our thoughts are with the victims and their families right now; we’re wishing them all the best with their recovery.”

Hall said it was “the most ordinary thing in the world” for children to “head out on a Sunday with friends”, adding that the situation was “every parent’s worst nightmare”.

She thanked the emergency services and gardaí who attended the scene, saying they were confronted with a “very challenging” situation.

Green Party Cllr Tom Kivlehan said paramedics and first responders “did their job well”, but the gravity of the situation would have an impact on their lives as well.

Kivlehan said the “close-knit” and “strong” community will rally around the injured people and their families.

“I hope everyone recovers,” he added.

Fine Gael Cllr Dan Carson, who attended the scene of the incident, said any situation like this is “devastating” and “shocking, especially when it involves young people”.

He encouraged parents in the area to check in with the young people in their homes.

“There are a number of children in the area who know the victims and they are deeply traumatised by what happened.”

Carson said local schools and GP services can provide additional support to families who need it. He added that the lives of everyone injured in the incident will be “changed forever”.

Gardaí are appealing for anyone who was on Oliver Plunkett Road in Dún Laoghaire on Sunday between 3pm and 3.15pm to contact them.

Any road users who may have camera footage (including dashcam) from the area at the time are asked to make this available to gardaí.

A dark brown Nissan X-Trail was seen travelling from the Kill Avenue direction on to Oliver Plunkett Road. Anyone who observed this vehicle between 2.45pm and 3.15pm is also asked to speak to investigating gardaí.

Anyone with any information should contact Dún Laoghaire Garda station on 01-6665000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666111, or any Garda station.