Two people have been hospitalised following a road traffic collision that closed a section of the M18 motorway in Co Galway on Saturday night.
The incident, which involved two cars, occurred in the southbound carriageway of the M18 at Kiltartan about 4 kilometres north of junction 16 at Gort.
Emergency services were alerted at around 10.00pm however there was some confusion about the location of the incident while it was also originally reported that one of the vehicles was on fire.
GardaÃ, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and units of Galway Fire and Rescue Service from Gort station were initially mobilised to the incident. As it was first thought that the collision had occurred south of junction 16, units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service were dispatched from Ennis.
When it became clear that the incident had occurred further north, units of Galway Fire and Rescue Service were mobilised from Athenry station while fire crews from Ennis were stood down.
On arrival at the scene, it was quickly established that no vehicle was on fire. One of the cars was however found to have left the motorway and overturned into the ditch.
The southbound lanes of the motorway were promptly closed so that emergency workers could safely deal with the incident. Traffic was diverted off the route at junction 17 at Kiltiernan.
The drivers of both cars were assessed at the scene by NAS paramedics before being removed to hospital for treatment. It’s understood that neither driver suffered life-threatening injuries.
Once both casualties were removed from the scene and lane 2 had been cleared of debris, any traffic that had been left backed up behind the incident was directed safely past the scene. The carriageway was closed again to allow for the safe recovery of the vehicles.
The motorway was fully reopened shortly before midnight.