Five people were taken to hospital following a five-vehicle road traffic collision in Co Clare on Friday evening.
The crash occurred at around 7:30pm on the main N68 Ennis to Kilrush road near Caherea. Three people were left trapped in the vehicles after the crash while the road was completely blocked by wreckage and debris following the incident.
Drivers and passengers from vehicles that had come upon the scene ran to check on those in the cars involved in the crash and raised the alarm. They also comforted the injured until emergency services arrived.
Clare County Fire and Rescue Service crews from Ennis and Kilrush stations responded to the scene along with a seven ambulances, a rapid response advanced paramedic vehicle and multiple Garda units.
Fire crews had to use specialist cutting equipment to remove the roof and doors of one vehicle so one casualty could be safely removed from the car.
Seven people in total were assessed by National Ambulance Service (NAS) paramedics before it was decided that five people should be transported to University Hospital Limerick for further treatment. The two others sustained only minor injuries.
Gardaí are investigating the circumstances of the collision while a spokesperson has confirmed that none of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.
