Teenagers killed in M9 crash were known to gardaí in west Wicklow after several accidents

By Darragh McCann, The Wicklow People

Five teenage boys killed after a stolen car was driven the wrong way along the M9 motorway early on Sunday morning were known to gardaí in the west Wicklow area.

A source explained that Joey Carthy (15) and Jack Kennedy (17), from Athy, Co Kildare, Alex McCarthy (17) and his cousin Jeremy O’Brien (18), from Carlow, and Kamil Pustkowski (17), from Limerick, were known to gardaí in the west Wicklow and Carlow areas.

The source said that the teenagers were involved in several “bad road traffic incidents” locally recently, and that they had been arrested, interviewed and files sent to the Juvenile Liaison Office.

Garda sources added that the teenagers were known to frequent areas such as Baltinglass, which was close to their homes, and were known to try the doors of unlocked cars in the area.

“They were known to steal items from the cars, which would usually go unreported,” a Garda source said.

All five were killed when the BMW they were driving sped the wrong way down the M9 motorway and collided head-on with another vehicle, which contained members of a family on their way to Dublin Airport to fly to a wedding in the UK.

The incident has caused national debate over how gardaí can tackle the issue of joyriding, with the problem also being fuelled by the way joyriding and car thefts are shared online.

Footage of stolen cars, high-speed driving and dangerous incidents are often posted across social media platforms, particularly TikTok.

In some cases, videos have shown teenagers driving stolen cars at speed, and vehicles being driven the wrong way on motorways, with clips attracting likes, comments and reposts.

M9 crash victims (L-R): Jeremy O’Brien, Jack Kennedy, Kamil Pustkowski, Joe Carthy and Alex McCarthy.

A Wicklow-based legal expert has said gardaí already have a range of laws available to them when dealing with people suspected of stealing cars, and engaging in dangerous driving, but warned that prosecution alone will not solve the wider problem.

“Charges are simple and already exist,” they said. “Unauthorised taking criminalises the theft of cars. Unauthorised use criminalises any driver of the car, regardless of if they were involved with the actual theft of the car.

“Unauthorised carriage criminalises passengers of stolen cars. Dangerous driving and endangerment are offences which can be charged in relation to the manner of driving.

“Dangerous driving causing serious harm and/or death is also an applicable offence, as is manslaughter, though a prosecution for manslaughter would be significantly more complex and rare.”

However, the legal practitioner said there also needs to be greater emphasis on preventing the offending before it reaches the roads, with gardaí having the ability to increase patrols in areas where young people involved are living.

“An Garda Síochána have pursuit guidelines. Now, fair enough, they don’t have the correct training, but they have guidelines. They could increase patrols in the areas where the kids live. Actually check up on curfews, make sure the kids are at home,” they said.

The legal expert also pointed to what they described as a wider failure to provide adequate supports for vulnerable young people, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

“People never talk about the lack of resources and funding in youth services in disadvantaged areas, lack of supports for struggling families. In certain cases these kids are in the care of Tusla, there is a lack of special care places, social workers, and psychologists.”

They also said gardaí have begun charging some of those involved with the so-called Lucky Dip group with membership of an organised crime group.