M18 Closed Southbound From Junction 12 Following Incident – Clare FM

A section of the M18 motorway is currently closed following an earlier road traffic incident.

A five kilometre section of the southbound carriageway is affected between junction 12 Killoo and junction 11 at the Dromoland/Clare Inn interchange.

It’s understood that a car was reported to be driving in the wrong direction on the motorway at around 5.25pm. Emergency services were alerted and responded to the incident.

Units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service Ennis and Shannon stations, who had been dealing with a vehicle fire further north along the same route, responded to the incident along with Gardaí and National Ambulance Service paramedics.

The car is believed to have travelled north towards Ennis in the southbound lanes. It’s also understood that the driver may have suffered a medical episode and inadvertently entered the southbound lanes and travelled in the wrong direction. It’s not know however where the vehicle entered the motorway.

Details of the incident are still vague but oncoming traffic managed to avoid the vehicle which eventually collided with the central barrier and came to a stop.

The male driver was assessed and treated at the scene before being removed by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick for treatment. He is understood to be in a critical condition.

The M18 between junctions 12 and 11 southbound have been closed and traffic diverted. The route is expected to remain closed until Garda Forensic Collision Investigators complete an examination of the scene.

Gardaí have said: “Due to a single vehicle collision the M18 between junctions 12 and 11 southbound have been closed. The road will remain closed until tomorrow afternoon until Garda Forensic Collision Investigators have completed an examination of the scene.”