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A woman was arrested after stopping traffic at rush hour by stopping her car in the middle of a busy highway.
The incident occurred shortly after 5:00 pm Friday on the northbound lanes of the M18 in Co Clare between the Newmarket interchanges at Fergus and Dromoland.
The woman was reportedly “highly intoxicated” and was reportedly singing and dancing on the highway, refusing to allow traffic to pass.
According to eyewitnesses, the woman, believed to be in her 50s, stopped her car at the center white line between the two active lanes before hitting the freeway and began to sing ‘Republican songs’.
“It just stopped right in front of us, right in the middle of the road. I thought I had hit something. Then she got out of the car and started dancing and singing. I was driving home from work with a colleague and we looked at each other in disbelief, ”said one motorist.
Rush hour traffic was jammed for several kilometers as multiple calls were made to emergency services.
Congestion was also reported at nearby Newmarket on Fergus, as traffic veered off the highway at Junction 10 to take an alternate route.
Gardaí, paramedics from the National Ambulance Service and various units from Shannon Town County Clare Fire and Rescue Service responded to the incident.
According to another eyewitness: “She was singing ‘come out black and tan’ and was dancing around the place. She then lay down in the passing lane and refused to get up. She could have been asleep. ”
It is understood that a passing ambulance had stopped to help the woman, but could not be transported because there was already a patient on board. Another ambulance was dispatched to the scene.
The woman was also reported to have “thrown grass” at paramedics who had tried to help here.
More than an hour after the incident began, the woman was arrested at the scene and transported to Shannon Garda Station. The highway reopened around 6.15pm, but it took some time for the delays to clear.
A Garda spokesperson confirmed: “A motorist was arrested at the scene on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. She was transferred to Shannon Garda Station. ”
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