Update on three sisters injured in M9 crash with car driving wrong way down motorway
The three sisters who survived a horrific crash in Ireland when a car drove the wrong way on the motorway and smashed into them have suffered 'a lot of broken bones', but there is relief that things aren't much worse.
Friends of Niamh and Alma Kinsella, and Ella Hendricken, and Alma's seven-year-old son, Yemi, have given an update on the 'catastrophic' injuries they suffered in the collision, which left the five teenage males in the other car dead.
Speaking to the Irish Mail on Sunday, a friend detailed their plight, listing broken bones and spinal injuries among their many injuries.
"They have a long, long recovery ahead of them," the unidentified person said.
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"One of them has spinal injuries and there are a lot of broken bones and young Yemi broke a leg."
However, the friend revealed that she and others are at least pleased that it doesn't appear that any of them have suffered damage to their brains, and she has a positive outlook for their future.
The friend continued: "People are relieved that none of them are in a brain specialist hospital, so that means none of them are brain-damaged."
"God forbid there’s a change," the source continued.
"We think they will recover but how long that is going to take no one knows. Their injuries may be life-altering but to the extent they may be life-altering, well, no one knows that at the moment."
Another friend claimed that operations took place during the week following the crash that occurred on 16 August, on the M9 near Moone, County Kildare.
They said: "All I’ll say is, it has been touch and go and they have moved from critical to seriously injured.
"There were surgeries during the week. Young Yemi has a broken leg and he asked for his cast to be painted red because he is a Manchester United supporter."
Mum of killed teen apologises to injured sisters
The crash happened when a BMW was driven on the wrong side of the motorway into oncoming traffic, meaning the Garda could not follow them, and collided with a Hyundai, killing teenagers Jeremy O'Brien, 18, Alex McCarthy, 17, Joey Carthy, 15, Jack Kennedy, 17, and Kamil Pustkowski, 17.
The mum of Jeremy O'Brien, Margaret Berry, apologised to the sisters as she lamented her son's actions.
"I wish my son had never got into that car," she told The Sun.
"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."
Berry added: "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.
"I also hope one day that the family who remain in hospital can find some kind of forgiveness some day. I will continue to pray for them.
"My son and those other boys didn’t set out that night to intentionally hurt people and my heart will always break for everyone who’s involved in this nightmare."
The three sisters and little Yemi were said to be heading to Dublin airport to fly to the UK to attend a family wedding at the time of the crash.
A GoFundMe has raised €754,716 (£646,966) for them so far.
Investigation into crash continuing
An investigation into the collision and the events which led up to the horror crash is currently underway, with the Irish Times reporting that Gardaí officers had received reports of the men allegedly attempting to break into homes and cars in the Athy area earlier that night.
Officers in a patrol car had later requested the black BMW to stop at around 2am on 16 August, but the car sped away and was driving down the motorway in the wrong direction.
The Garda Síochána, Ireland's primary police and security service, did not follow the car onto the motorway due to guidance on the risk of a head-on collision and were instead looking into alternative measures to stop the vehicle.
Daniel Murphy