N18 Yesterday evening, crash?

stefanovich

Anyone know what happened on the N18 southbound towards Limerick yesterday evening? Massive traffic and fire brigade on the road.

People are saying there was a single car crash at the Radisson but it doesn't explain what the fire brigade were up to. The exit at Setright's was blocked and they were directing people to take the Cratloe exit as maybe 100 metres of the Dual carriageway was closed just after. People were immediately entering the dual carriageway again.

What was unbelievable were the people undertaking on the hard shoulder. They actually blocked an ambulance at Setright's causing people to drive onto the grass verge. Absolute morons.

Cartman78

I was passing the slip road (enroute towards the toll plaza) at around 5.40pm yesterday.

At that point there was one ambulance on the scene, sort of half blocking the exit. There was a small queue of cars (<10) so I this was obviously before the real tailbacks built.

It looks like one car had crashed into the pole (after possibly clipping another car - there were two cars on the hard shoulder). It didn't look too serious from what I saw but hard to properly assess from my vantage point. I guess the fire brigade were there to tidy up any debris/oil spillages etc.

apc

Maybe the fire service were there to extricate the person/persons from the car involved in the accident and also to block the road from on coming traffic, which travels at high speed on that road so as to create a safe working environment for the emergency services to carry out their work

stefanovich

apc wrote: »

Maybe the fire service were there to extricate the person/persons from the car involved in the accident and also to block the road from on coming traffic, which travels at high speed on that road so as to create a safe working environment for the emergency services to carry out their work

Perhaps I was unclear and that is the reason for your sarcasm. The section of the road that was blocked and bypassed was before where the accident apparently took place. Was there another incident?

apc

stefanovich wrote: »

Perhaps I was unclear and that is the reason for your sarcasm. The section of the road that was blocked and bypassed was before where the accident apparently took place. Was there another incident?

Sarcasm not intended

phill106

I passed it seemingly just after it happened from the other side of the road before the emergency services were there. Could see one car had crashed into one of the lamposts, slightly knocking it back and knocking the top off it. Had been about 6-7 cars behind it pulled in, couldnt see the reasons but assuming either minder tips as a result or just stopping as a witness or to offer assistance.

The exit itself hadn't been blocked nor the carriageway at the time, so It seems likely that the traffic was diverted at setrights to rejoin at the meelick roundabout to give the emergency services more space and safety. That way the motorists could all rejoin the tunnel or city as needed.

black & white

I passed it heading towards Shannon at about 6.10 or so and there was 3 fire engines at the scene, the car had its roof removed and I presume the injured person had been taken to hospital because I don't remember seeing an ambulance. There was another 2 fire engines at the Cratloe junction directing traffic up off the motorway onto the old road. The car had its front embedded in one of the big streetlights that are on the side of that road, hope whoever was involved wasn't too badly injured.

MarkR

What are the odds it was caused by someone trying to go from the overtaking lane off to the exit?

black & white

MarkR wrote: »

What are the odds it was caused by someone trying to go from the overtaking lane off to the exit?

Fairly short I'd say.

stefanovich

People do accelerate there to pass slower traffic and merge back in at the last minute.

Cookiemunster

stefanovich wrote: »

People do accelerate there to pass slower traffic and merge back in at the last minute.

More like people travelling at a steady speed move out to the overtaking lane to pass slower traffic rather than accelerate to overtake them. There's nothing wrong or illegal about merging near the junction as long as you take care to make sure that there's enough space to do so.

phill106

Cookiemunster wrote: »

More like people travelling at a steady speed move out to the overtaking lane to pass slower traffic rather than accelerate to overtake them. There's nothing wrong or illegal about merging near the junction as long as you take care to make sure that there's enough space to do so.

Aye there is the rub, people seem to literally swerve in at the last possible second