Motorway mayhem as car drives wrong way

The AA has confirmed that it received numerous reports of a car driving the wrong way on the motorway outside Athlone on Thursday of last week. While Gardai in Athlone say they did not receive any reports of the incident, Conor Fauhgnan, AA Director of Policy, said the AA had received several reports of a car driving in the wrong direction on the motorway on Thursday evening between Moate and Athlone. Mr Faughnan said the car was driving in an easterly direction and was horrifying drivers in the westbound traffic lanes. AA Roadwatch said the car was understood to have travelled at least 12 km on the wrong side of the Dublin to Galway motorway 'causing chaos and panic. 'This was absolute insanity,' Mr Faughnan said. 'It is very lucky that no one was seriously hurt.' Mr Faughnan told the Westmeath Independent this week that this followed an incident in Dublin on Wednesday where a number of motorists became confused by a new layout at the Blanchardstown junction of the M50 due to poor signage. Mr Faughnan said many motorists do not know how to use these roads properly. 'Motorway driving is not currently taught to learner drivers, and we also have huge numbers of motorists who learned to drive in the era before the high-speed modern motorways.' The latest report follows a separate incident in which a criminal gang escaped from a Kilbeggan robbery on the wrong side of the motorway. Did you see this car? Contact our news desk: 090 6434300 or email: editor@westmeathindependent.ie