City centre car rampage leaves five injured

Five people were treated in hospital after two men in a stolen car went on the rampage in Dublin city centre, gardaí said today.

Gardaí were alerted after an off-duty officer saw the BMW crash into a number of cars on Exchequer Street and South Great Georges Street at around 11pm.

The officer jumped on the bonnet in a bid to stop the vehicle but failed. The BMW sped off towards Aungier Street after colliding with a taxi and ramming a garda patrol car a number of times.

The car then collided with several cars and left a number of people injured. Five people were taken to hospital, one woman sustained a broken leg and a man suffered neck injuries.

Two men fled the scene on foot after the crash on Aungier Street. Gardaí arrested one of the men and took him to Pearse Street garda station for questioning. He was due to appear at Dublin District Court later today.

The vehicle had been stolen at knifepoint a number of hours earlier in a housing estate in the Leopardstown area of south Dublin.