A TEENAGER who died in a two-vehicle collision in Co. Cork has been named locally as 16-year-old Johnny Foley from Spur Hill in Cork city.
The incident occurred on the M8 at Ballybeg in Mitchelstown at around 1am on Saturday.
The matter has been referred to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) due to the car the teenager was a passenger in having been 'subject to an interaction' with gardaí before the collision.
According to RTÉ News, the car had been reported stolen earlier this week and was going the wrong way on the northbound carriageway of the motorway at the time of the collision.
Four other people in the car — a male in his teens, a male youth, a female youth and a male youth who was driving the vehicle — were treated at Cork University Hospital (CUH) for non life-threatening injuries.
A woman in her 30s who was in the second vehicle was also treated at CUH for serious injuries.
GSOC confirmed in a statement that the matter had been referred to them by gardaí.
"GSOC received a referral from An Garda Siochana on July 1, 2023, following a road traffic collision in the Mitchelstown area of Cork that took place in the early hours of the morning," read the statement.
"The referral was made by a Garda superintendent under section 102(1) of the Garda Siochana Act, 2005.
"The matter is now under examination by GSOC further to section 91 of the Garda Siochana Act, 2005. No further comment will be made at this time."
Gardaí have appealed for anyone who witnessed the collision, or who may have video footage of the incident, to contact them at Mitchelstown Garda Station on 025 84833, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.
