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It happened at Curraghfarm near Kildare on Monday, January 1, 2024.
Gardaí have issued a renewed appeal for witnesses in connection with a single-vehicle road traffic collision that occurred on the M7 at Curraghfarm near Kildare on Monday, January 1, 2024.
The incident took place at approximately 8:45 pm when a car travelling westbound between junction 12 (Newbridge) and junction 13 (Kildare) left the motorway and collided with a raised grass bank. Emergency services and Gardaí were alerted to the scene.
One of the passengers, Keith Higginbotham (27), from Nurney, was the first fatality on Irish roads of the year.
The driver, also a male in his 20s, was transported to Tallaght University Hospital to receive treatment for injuries believed to be non-life-threatening at the time. Two additional male passengers in their 20s did not require immediate hospital treatment.
In response to the incident, the M7 westbound was temporarily closed between Junction 12 and Junction 13 to facilitate a technical examination conducted by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators.
Gardaí are urging anyone who may have witnessed the collision or has information related to the incident to come forward.
Road users who were traveling on the M7 between Junction 12 and Junction 13 and have camera footage, including dash-cam recordings, between 7:45 pm and 8:45 pm on Monday, January 1, 2024, are requested to provide this footage to assist in the investigation.