Funeral to take place of teen who died in M8 crash 

The funeral mass is to take place tomorrow of a 16-year-old boy who died in a crash in Mitchelstown, Co Cork.

Johnny Foley of Spur Hill in Togher, Cork was a front seat passenger in a Toyota Corolla car that crashed in to another car on the M8 at Ballybeg in Mitchelstown at around 1am on Saturday. The car was being driven the wrong way down the motorway and collided with a Kia driven by a female motorist.

The driver of the Toyota Corolla and three passengers, who are all in their teens, were taken to Cork University Hospital (CUH) for treatment for serious injuries. A woman in her thirties, who was driving the Kia, was also treated in CUH for serious injuries she sustained in the collision.

It is understood the car had hit speeds of 175km/h prior to it going down the M8 the wrong way and colliding with the car driven by the woman. The driver of the car broke his leg in the incident whilst a 16-year-old male, a 19-year-old male and a 13-year-old female also incurred serious injuries in the incident.

The incident is being investigated by gardaí in Mitchelstown. They have urged members of the public who witnessed the collision, particularly those who are in possession of dash cam footage, to contact them.

The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) is carrying out its own probe in to the incident, as there was an interaction between gardaí and the car driven by the teenager prior to the collision between the two cars. It is understood that gardaí had been in pursuit of the stolen car which was travelling excessive speeds. However, the pursuit ended when the car went down the motorway the wrong way.

Meanwhile, Johnny Foley is survived by his parents Michael and Maggie, step mother mother Lilly Ann and siblings Michael, Luke, James, Mary-Ellen and Lisa. He is also deeply mourned by his grandparents James and Bridget, extended family and a wide circle of friends.

Mr Foley will lie in repose at Sullivan's Funeral Home, Turners Cross in Cork from 4pm to 5pm today. His requiem mass will take place in the Church of the Assumption in nearby Ballyphehane at 11am tomorrow with burial following at St James' Cemetery, Chetwynd.