A woman in her fifties has died and four others have been hospitalised following a two-car crash on the M4 near Kinnegad in Co. Westmeath.
The fatal victim was the driver of a car that collided with a vehicle driven by an off-duty Garda.
Two children and a woman travelling in the car were injured.
Emergency services were called to the scene near the junction with the M6 at about 1.30am.
As the incident involved a member of the Gardaí, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission has launched an investigation into the crash.
GSOC is appealing for anyone who witnessed the collision to contact them.
They're looking for information about a blue Opel Astral (05 registration) or a silver Nissan Micra (04 registration) to contact them on 1890 600 800.
The route between J12 Kinnegad West and J9 Enfield is expected to remain closed for a number of hours to allow a forensic examination of the scene.
