Mum of teen killed in wrong-way M9 crash says her son 'wasn't evil' as she shares fresh apology
The mum of a teenager who was among five killed in a crash when a car sped the wrong way down a motorway has spoken out.
Sisters Niamh and Alma Kinsella, and Ella Hendricken, and Alma's seven-year-old son, Yemi, were all rushed into hospital after a BMW smashed into their car on the M9 in County Kildare 16 August.
The group had been travelling to Dublin Airport to fly out to a family wedding when the crash happened.
Five teenage boys, Kamil Pustkowski, 17, Jack Kennedy, 17, Jeremy O’Brien, 18, Joe Carthy, 15, and 16–year–old Alex McCarthy, who were in the BMW, were all killed in the crash.
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The mum of Jeremy O'Brien, Margaret Berry, previously said the incident ‘should never have happened’ and that her son never intended to hurt anyone, telling the Sun: "I wish my son had never got into that car.
"My heart goes out to this poor family and if I could see them I would apologise. I have said prayers for them and I hope to God that they can heal.
"This tragedy should never have happened. I am not proud of what happened and I don’t condone what they did. I wish my son had never got into that car."
In a new interview, Margaret has shared another apology and said her son, who was just 18, 'wasn't evil'.
She has since laid him to rest, telling the Irish Sun: "Every time I visit his grave I just crumble.
“I just wanted to let that family know how sorry I am for this terrible tragedy. The family will always have my sympathies and I will continue to pray for them.
“My son made a catastrophic decision that night and the consequences have been devastating.
"My son wasn’t an evil person and he made a very, very stupid and terrible mistake.”
The priest at the funeral for Jeremy O’Brien also told mourners the group were 'wrong' for their actions.
During his sermon, the priest acknowledged the complex nature of the tragedy, telling mourners: "While today we acknowledge that what the boys did was wrong, we must not allow tragedy to become the only story, as we pray for those who were injured and who have died."
He also paid tribute not only to the five teenagers killed in the crash, but also to the injured sisters, saying: "Several lives have been lost, and others have been seriously injured. Families have been changed forever."
Update issued on three sisters injured in crash
A friend of the sisters, previously shared that the family had a ‘long, long recovery ahead of them’.
Now, the sisters have issued an update for the first time, thanking people for their support.
In a joint statement shared on a GoFundMe page set up for the family, the three sisters said the last few weeks had been ‘incredibly difficult’ but that they were ‘getting stronger’ by the day.
The statement read: “We wanted to share a short update and, most importantly, say thank you.
“We are continuing to take things one day at a time and are getting stronger as the days go by. We're incredibly grateful for all the kindness, messages and support that have been shown to us and our family.
“The past few weeks have been incredibly difficult for all of us, but the support we've received from so many people has meant more than we could ever put into words.
“To every person who has donated, shared the fundraiser, sent a message or simply kept us and our family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.
“The generosity and kindness shown to us has been overwhelming, and we are incredibly grateful.
“For now, we're continuing to focus on getting stronger and taking each day as it comes.”
Topics: Ireland
James Holt