One Dead And Several Injured After Multi-Car Pileup Shuts Busy Highway In Galway, Emergency Crews Deployed

Galway, Ireland— A five-car pileup on the N6 near Athenry at 4:15 p.m. Friday killed one driver and left four others injured, two critically. Gardai said a chain reaction started when a car braked suddenly in heavy spray. The road was closed for six hours while wreckage was cleared and forensic teams worked.

The crash happened eastbound, about three kilometers from the Athenry exit, during intense rain. Visibility dropped to less than 50 meters. A white SUV braked hard to avoid standing water. A following hatchback hit it from behind, then a delivery van plowed into both. Two more cars could not stop and joined the pile. One car overturned and landed in the central reservation.

"It was like dominoes, cars sliding everywhere, you could hear metal crunching," a truck driver who stopped to help said. He said he pulled one woman from a smoking car and laid her on the verge. Fire crews from Galway City and Loughrea cut two people from crushed vehicles. Paramedics triaged victims on the wet motorway as traffic backed up for eight kilometers.

One man, aged 62, from County Roscommon, was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:05 p.m. Two women, aged 29 and 34, were taken to University Hospital Galway with serious head and spinal injuries. Two other drivers suffered broken bones and cuts. All were wearing seatbelts. The pileup blocked both eastbound lanes and one westbound lane due to debris.

Gardai closed the N6 between Oranmore and Athenry and diverted traffic through Monivea and Craughwell. The closure caused major delays for commuters heading into Galway City for the bank holiday weekend. Bus Eireann reported 90-minute delays. The road surface was heavily rutted and filled with diesel and oil.

Forensic collision investigators used drones to map tyre marks and fluid trails. They seized dashcams from three vehicles. Early findings suggest aquaplaning and tailgating contributed. No alcohol tests returned positive. The vehicles will be examined for tyre wear and brake condition at a Garda pound. Met Eireann had issued a yellow rain warning for Galway at the time.

The N6 is a key freight route and has seen three fatal pileups in the past 18 months. Transport Infrastructure Ireland said it resurfaced the section in 2024 but will review drainage after this crash. Local TDs called for better electronic warning signs for surface water. A safety audit is now scheduled for next week.

The road reopened at 10:30 p.m. with a reduced speed limit and warning signs. Gardai are asking for dashcam footage from the N6 between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. Friday. The investigation continues and a file will be prepared for the coroner and the Director of Public Prosecutions.