Officers told not to pursue car on wrong side of motorway before crash, says Ireland's police body
Irish police are facing scrutiny after a fatal car crash involving five teenagers occurred following a failed pursuit. The Garda Representative Association stated that officers were ordered to disengage from the vehicle because they lacked specific pursuit training.
Why it matters
The incident has sparked a national debate in Ireland regarding police training protocols and the safety risks associated with high-speed vehicle pursuits.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, The collision occurred on the M9 Northbound at Junction 3 at about 03:00 local time on Sunday
Gardaí (Irish police) were instructed to disengage from pursuing a car as it drove in the wrong direction on a motorway before a fatal crash, the Garda Representative Association has said.
Five teenagers were killed in the head-on crash on the M9 in County Kildare on Sunday morning.
Two women are in a critical condition, while another woman and a seven - year-old boy are in a serious condition.
Assistant General Secretary of the Garda Representative Association (GRA), Tara McManus, told the BBC that garda roads policing officers "do not have pursuit training".
She said officers involved in the Kildare incident were given a command to "disengage" with the car after it took "evasive action".
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