A MAN has been seriously injured in a road traffic collision which forced the closure of a 16 kilometre stretch of the M18 motorway between Galway and Clare this morning.
The crash, which involved a 4×4 vehicle towing a trailer with animals, occurred shortly after 9am in the southbound lanes of the motorway.
The crash took place on the stretch between Clare and Galway[/caption]
Units of Galway Fire and Rescue Service from Gort station responded to the scene, which was just south of Gort, along with National Ambulance Service paramedics and Gardai.
Clare County Fire and Rescue Service was also requested to mobilise crews from Ennis station to assist.
On arrival at the scene, emergency crews found the vehicle and trailer had left the road.
While the trailer remained upright the 4×4 had overturned onto its side trapping one of occupants inside.
A man managed to exit the vehicle himself however fire crews used specialist cutting equipment to remove the second occupant.
They were both assessed at the scene by paramedics.
One man in his 70s was hospitalised with serious injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.
The second person escaped serious injury.
The HSE’s Athlone-based Emergency Aeromedical Service air ambulance, operated in conjunction with the Irish Air Corps, was also requested to attend the incident however, en route to the scene, the Air Corps 112 helicopter was retasked on another mission.
The southbound lanes of the motorway had been closed to allow emergency services work safely at the scene while the northbound carriageway was closed soon afterwards.
Three animals were successfully transferred to a second trailer however a vet was requested to attend the scene and assist emergency crews.
It’s understood that one animal had to be euthanised at the scene.
At around 11am, the northbound carriageway was reopened to traffic while emergency services remained in attendance on the opposite side.
ROAD REOPENED
The motorway was fully reopened at around 12.30pm after the vehicle, trailer and deceased animal had been recovered from the scene.
A Garda spokesperson confirmed: “Gardai and emergency services attended the scene of a single-vehicle road traffic incident on the M18 southbound at Junction 16 in Co Galway, which occurred at approximately 9:10am on Thursday, 17th April, 2025.
“A male, aged in his 70s, was brought by ambulance to University Hospital Galway with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. The second person was uninjured.
“The motorway was closed for a time in both directions between junctions 15 and 16.
“It has since reopened.”