Three people have been taken to hospital following an incident on the M18 in Co Clare this afternoon.
The single-vehicle collision occurred shortly after 2.00pm on the motorway between junction 10 (Newmarket on Fergus) and junction 9 (Shannon) in the townland of Lemanagh Beg.
A car left the motorway and mounted the embankment overturning onto its side.
Units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Shannon and Ennis stations responded to the incident along with the National Ambulance Service and Gardaí. A number of ambulances and an advanced paramedic response vehicle were dispatched to the incident.
The female driver and two children managed to exit the vehicle themselves by smashing the rear window. All three were assessed by ambulance paramedics before being transported to University Hospital Limerick for further treatment.
Fire service personnel had to use chainsaws to remove a tree and other vegetation from around the car so it could be removed safely. Fire crews then deployed a crane mounted on their emergency tender to lift the vehicle from the ditch.
The fire service also implemented an emergency traffic management system and kept one lane open to traffic while they dealt with the incident. Traffic however was still left backed up to the previous junction at Newmarket on Fergus.
The hard shoulder and lane 1 were reopened at 4.00pm once the vehicle had been recovered and the scene was declared safe. Traffic Infrastructure Ireland motorway crews also attended the incident.