Gardaí are investigating the circumstances of the collision between a mini-bus and a saloon car on the main Killarney to Tralee road in which fifteen people, including 11 children, were hospitalised on Monday.
Six of the more seriously injured, including five children and a man in his forties, were removed to Cork University Hospital. While most of the injuries were said to be minor, two of the children received serious head injuries including a three-year old-boy.
Nine people were taken to Kerry General Hospital in Tralee and most have been released.
A major emergency response was initiated and four helicopters, as well as fire brigade vehicles and ten ambulances were dispatched to the scene.
The head-on collision between the nine-seater minibus and trailer going in the direction of Killarney and the rental car with an English family of two adults and three children going towards Farranfore, was at a severe bend shortly before 6pm .
Local resident Nigel Brosnan, a civil engineer, has said he has been campaigning with some time for improvements at the bend at Knockaderry Hill. The collision took place 20 metres from his home.
"This is an accident black-spot and had at one stage been marked as such. I have been onto both the NRA and Kerry County Council to do something with the bend," Mr Brosnan said.
There have been four to five accidents in the past two years at the bend and just recently a Mercedes coming from Killarney spun across the road into Mr Brosnan’s ditch. “It’s a miracle last night no-one was killed,” Mr Brosnan said.
Over 8,000 vehicles a day use the road and the bend was not capable of handling that volume of traffic Mr Brosnan said. He is calling for barriers to be erected .
However a spokesman for Kerry County Council said the road was well marked with a continuous white line indicating no overtaking. Plans for a 26km scheme to upgrade the road have been put on hold with some years because of lack of funding.
Meanwhile gardaí say they are investigating the cause of the collision.
It appears the family in the minibus, named locally as Burke, are residing in Bantry in Co Cork and had been visiting relatives in Tralee. They also have Waterford connections.
The number of people involved necessitated a major emergency response in terms of ambulances and medical staff. The National Ambulance Service deployed 10 ambulances, two rapid response vehicles and two doctors to the scene. A baby seat as well as Santa hats were strewn along the road after the crash.
Gardaí in Tralee said the trailer attached to the white minibus broke free after the collision and was not a factor.
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses. The road has been examined by senior forensic examiners.