Garda injured during bid to stop car
Gardaí believe they foiled a serious crime, possibly a robbery, after a garda on foot-patrol spotted the silver Honda Civic and attempted to stop the car at around 2.30pm at Abbey Street.
The driver failed to stop and drove over the garda’s foot before speeding off. A second vehicle, believed to a four-wheel drive, is thought to have been travelling in convoy with the Honda and also fled the scene. Both vehicles are understood to have collided with each other during the ensuing chase.
A Garda patrol followed the vehicles for about 3km to Kilbreckan, Doora, where the gang set the car alight, blocking the road in an effort to impede gardaí.
As the fire began to take hold, passing motorists were stopped. One driver blocked the road with his van, warning others about going near the blazing car and roaring: “Don’t go down there, the tank hasn’t blown yet.”
On arrival, fire personnel wearing breathing apparatus set about tackling the blaze, which had spread to the ditch and nearby trees.
While gardaí are still piecing together all the circumstances of the incident, it is believed that there were two men in each of the vehicles.
At the scene where the car was set alight, one of the men was picked up by the second vehicle while the remaining gang member tried to escape in a four-wheel drive vehicle apparently hidden in a nearby laneway.
It only got a little more than 1km before it was intercepted by gardaí. A man was arrested at the scene.
Another vehicle was stopped in Limerick a short time later and a second man was detained.
Gardaí are still seeking two other men.
The injured garda was taken to hospital. It is understood that he sustained no broken bones.
