Two young Irish sisters are in hospital in Caen, Normandy, following a two-car collision on the A13 highway at Beaumont-en-Auge, in northern France.
The lives of the Dubliners, aged 22 and 18, are not in danger and a source close to the case said the prognosis is good.
They were part of an Irish family of eight which had just landed by ferry at Cherbourg with their Citroen C4 Picasso people carrier on Wednesday.
They were on their way to Paris when their vehicle was hit from behind by an Audi driven by a Frenchman (33), with his son (8) as passenger.
"The damage to their vehicle was very dramatic," said Laura Martin, a reporter for Ouest France newspaper.
The Irish family included a father (46), mother (45), the two injured daughters, sons aged 17, 14 and 12, and a four-year old girl.
The 22-year-old woman was the most seriously injured and was transported by helicopter to the University Hospital Centre in Caen, where her 18-year-old sister was also taken by ambulance.
“Their injuries are serious but not critical,” a gendarmerie officer said.
Forty firemen, seven ambulances and a helicopter were mobilised for the rescue. Traffic was stopped for 2½ hours.
