Five teenagers died in Ireland after driving against traffic for TikTok likes. Police decided not to chase them

On Sunday morning, August 16, 2026, five teenagers died on the M9 motorway in County Kildare (Ireland) — all of them were in a BMW that was driving at high speed against traffic and collided head-on with a family car. The tragedy is the latest in a series of incidents where Irish youth deliberately drive against traffic on highways to record videos for social media, writes The Sun.

According to the police, around two in the morning, a report came in that a group of young people were attempting to break into houses and cars in the town of Athy. When a patrol ordered the driver of a black BMW to stop, he fled. Later, the car, carrying five teenagers in masks or balaclavas, twice drove into the oncoming lane on the M9: first, it turned into a petrol station and then returned to the highway, and then again sped down the wrong lane. Police managed to deploy spike strips near the exit from the highway, but the driver did not stop — and a few minutes later, the BMW collided head-on with a Hyundai travelling in the opposite direction.

As a result of the impact, all five teenagers in the BMW died at the scene. There were four people in the Hyundai: two in the front were hospitalized in critical condition, and the rear passengers sustained serious injuries. The family was on their way to Dublin airport to fly to a relative's wedding in Britain.

Irish Police Commissioner Justin Kelly called the incident horrific and noted that it is particularly outrageous that in a number of cases, young people take such a risky step for likes on social media.

The incident on the M9 is not accidental. Recently, gangs of teenagers have been operating in Ireland, competing with each other, trying to film increasingly dangerous videos for TikTok and other social networks.

Teenagers deliberately exploit the fact that police officers, according to safety protocol, are not allowed to pursue a vehicle driving against traffic on a highway — this makes such a tactic attractive for escape.

Police representatives call on social media networks to actively remove videos of dangerous driving, preserve evidence for investigation, and block accounts of those who upload such content, as well as to implement technical solutions on roads — systems for detecting wrong-way driving and devices for forcibly deflating tires in stolen cars.

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